Vietnam booked their place in the quarterfinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over hosts Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Monday, finishing top of Group A with a perfect nine points from three matches.
Needing a win to stay in the tournament, Saudi Arabia started brightly and dominated much of the first half, with Musab Aljuwayr and Abdulaziz Alelewai pulling the strings in midfield. The hosts went closest before the break when Thamer Alkhaibari’s header struck the post after a dangerous cross from Aljuwayr.
Vietnam absorbed sustained pressure and relied heavily on goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien, who produced a series of fine saves as Saudi Arabia continued to push after the interval. Alelewai twice went close early in the second half, only to be denied by the alert Vietnam custodian.
Against the run of play, Vietnam struck in the 64th minute. After winning possession in midfield, Nguyen Ngoc My released Nguyen Dinh Bac, who surged into the penalty area and fired home from a tight angle to silence the home crowd.
With elimination looming, Saudi Arabia threw numbers forward in search of an equaliser and finished the match with 24 attempts on goal, but Vietnam’s disciplined defence held firm. Tran again proved decisive late on, saving a close-range header from Abdulrahman Alobaid as the hosts mounted a final push.
The result sees Vietnam advance as group winners and avoid a quarterfinal meeting with Japan, while Saudi Arabia exit the competition at the group stage. Vietnam will now face the runners-up from Group B in Friday’s last-eight clash.
