Vietnam beat UAE, advance to semifinals of AFC U23 Asian Cup
(VOVWORLD) -Team Vietnam won 3-2 over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a thrilling match on Friday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, booking a place in the semifinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
 Vietnam U23 team celebrate their victory against UAE U23. Photo: AFC
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The second quarterfinal match saw a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes of regular time. The two teams had to play two extra time and Minh Phuc's goal in the 101st minute secured a victory for Vietnam U23.
The hard-fought win propelled team Vietnam into the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the match between China U23 and Uzbekistan U23 to take place on Saturday evening.
In the quarterfinal match earlier on Friday, Japan U23 won 4-2 on penalties against Jordan U23. Japan's opponent in the semifinals will be the winner of the quarterfinal match between Australia U23 and South Korea U23.
The AFC U23 Asian Cup is taking place from January 6-24, in Saudi Arabia. The tournament features 16 teams and is divided into 4 groups.