Indonesian media exclaimed one thing when the Vietnam national team faced Yemen.

Bola (Indonesia) commented that Vietnam's group in the 2027 Asian Cup becomes more challenging due to Yemen's presence.

The Yemen national team became the last team to secure a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals. They defeated Lebanon 2-0 in a postponed 2027 Asian Cup qualifier held at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Qatar on Thursday evening (June 4, 2026).

Nasser Al-Gahwashi was the standout player in Yemen's victory over Lebanon. The 27-year-old forward scored both goals in the match. The game between Lebanon and Yemen was originally scheduled to take place in Beirut last March. However, instability in the Arabian Peninsula forced the match to be postponed and relocated to Qatar, a safer country.

Thus, Yemen is the final opponent for Vietnam in the group stage of the 2027 Asian Cup, alongside South Korea and the UAE, which were already determined. After news that Yemen would be in the same group as Vietnam, Indonesian media commented that this would be no easy group for the West Asian representative:

"Yemen is in Group E of the 2027 Asian Cup. It can be said that this is a very difficult group for them, as there are three other strong teams ready to pose a challenge. Yemen will face Vietnam, South Korea, and the UAE in Group E of the 2027 Asian Cup. So far, Yemen's record in the Asian Cup has been quite disappointing. They have never advanced past the group stage of Asia's most prestigious tournament."

This is considered a highly challenging group for coach Kim Sang Sik and his players. since South Korea and the UAE are both top representatives of Asian football. However, this group also opens up an opportunity for the Vietnam team to continue proving their capability and resilience on the continental stage.

South Korea is currently one of the most successful teams in Asia, with many stars playing in Europe. In head-to-head history, Vietnam has only defeated South Korea once, a 1-0 victory in the 2004 Asian Cup qualifiers at My Dinh Stadium. At that time, South Korea had just finished fourth in the 2002 World Cup and possessed a highly regarded generation of players. After a 0-5 loss in the first leg, Vietnam still created a major upset by winning thanks to a goal from striker Phạm Văn Quyến in the 74th minute.