*This content was translated by AI.
As Vietnam, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, was on the verge of advancing to the quarterfinals with two consecutive group games, local favorable reviews continued.
Vietnam's U-23 national team beat Kyrgyzstan 2-1 in the second group match of the "2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup" held at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the 10th (Korea time).
Vietnam, which beat Jordan 2-0 in the first leg, beat Kyrgyzstan to lead the group with two consecutive wins (six points). Jordan then ranked second in the group with one win and one loss (three points), while host Saudi Arabia (three points) was completely behind Jordan and ranked third, with Kyrgyzstan at the bottom of the group with two losses (zero points).
As a result, Vietnam can reach the quarterfinals as No. 1 in the group even if it wins the final group match against Saudi Arabia on the 13th.
The tournament, in which 16 teams participate, will be divided into four groups of four teams, and the top two teams in each group will reach the quarterfinals tournament to determine the championship.
Vietnam scored the first goal with a penalty kick (PK) in the 19th minute of the first half. Kuat Van Kang, who played as a PK kicker, calmly succeeded and took the lead.
However, Vietnam allowed an equalizer at the end of the first half. Kyrgyzstan shook the net with a surprise mid-range shot from Marlene Murzakhmatov in the 44th minute of the first half.
The tight balance was broken by Vietnam's lucky score at the end of the game. In the 42nd minute of the second half, a header of a conversion attempted by Levan Tuan was deflected off Kyrgyz defender Christian Browzman's leg and into the goal. This own goal earned Vietnam the victory.
According to the Vietnam Football Association, manager Kim Sang-sik said after the game, "It wasn't an easy game, but I'm happy to win. "I'm grateful to our players for doing their best," he said. "Bantuan (who was involved in the winning goal after the substitution) performed well whenever he was substituted."
There were also favorable reviews for director Kim Sang-sik. Vietnam's VN Express said on the day, "Coach Kim Sang-sik proved himself with a victory on the ground instead of a brilliant speech," adding, "Players are perfectly understanding and moving around coach Kim Sang-sik's tactics." "The winning mentality planted by head coach Park Hang-seo is blooming again under Kim Sang-sik."
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*This content was translated by AI.
