AFC immediately responded as Vietnam's national team faced a West Asian side at the Asian Cup.

Following a lengthy wait, the AFC has finalized the roster of participants for the 2027 Asian Cup, while confirming Yemen as a rival for the Vietnamese team in Group E.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially confirmed the Yemen national team as the last entrant for the 2027 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia, after a 2-0 win over Lebanon in the final match of Group B in the last qualifying round. That result put Yemen top of the group with 14 points, bringing them back to Asia's premier tournament after missing the 2023 edition.

Notably, right after Yemen secured their place, the AFC also confirmed the makeup of Group E for the finals. Accordingly, "Yemen will be placed in the same group as South Korea, the UAE, and Vietnam," wrote the Asian football body. This news is of special interest to Vietnamese football fans because the identity of the final opponent for Coach Kim Sang-sik's squad at the 2027 Asian Cup finals has now been officially confirmed by the most authoritative body in Asian football.

Entering the decisive match in Doha, Yemen knew that only a victory would keep them alive. The West Asian side started aggressively and created the first notable chance in the 7th minute when Nasser Al Gahwashi fired a dangerous free kick, but Lebanon's goalkeeper Mostafa Matar made a timely save. Although Lebanon only needed a draw, they did not resort to a passive defensive approach.

Captain Mohamad Haidar repeatedly threatened Yemen's goal. One of Lebanon's best opportunities in the first half came from a corner by Haidar, but Leonardo Shahin missed from close range. On the other end, Al Gahwashi also wasted a golden chance in the 33rd minute when he shot over the bar, though the play was later ruled offside.

After the break, the match grew tense as both teams understood the importance of every moment. In the 60th minute, substitute Jeme Kazan tested goalkeeper Mohammed Aman with a tricky shot. However, the turning point arrived in the 62nd minute when Adel Abbas headed the ball to set up Al Gahwashi, who unleashed a precise effort to open the scoring for Yemen.

Lebanon fought back strongly after conceding and nearly equalized just two minutes later. Shahin broke through one-on-one but was brilliantly denied by Harwan Al Zuabidi inside the box. As the red-clad team continued to search for an equalizer, Al Gahwashi struck again in the 90th minute, sprinting onto a through ball from Mamdooh Saleh and finishing accurately.

The 2-0 win not only sent Yemen to Saudi Arabia in 2027 but also completed the process of determining the teams in Group E. According to the AFC, Yemen will compete with South Korea, the UAE, and Vietnam for places in the knockout stage.This means Vietnam now knows all three of their group-stage opponents, with Yemen being the team that recently made a strong impression by going unbeaten to earn a spot at Asia's biggest football festival.