Vietnam U23 defeats UAE, advances to the semi-finals.
Vietnam U23 defeated UAE U23 with a score of 3-2, officially securing their place in the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Championship.
Match report of the U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals today, January 16th: Vietnam vs UAE
FULL TIME – THE MATCH ENDS
Vietnam U23 defeated UAE U23 with a score of 3-2, officially securing their place in the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Championship.
121' – Dangerous cross
The UAE U23 team delivered a cross from the left wing with a very tricky trajectory towards the far post. Al Marzouqi rushed in but only managed to head the ball, which went just over the goal line.
120' – Van Khang makes a crucial save
High balls continued to create chaos in front of the Vietnam U23 goal. Van Khang threw himself in to block a shot, before the red-shirted defense managed to clear the ball away.
117' – Khalfan's shot goes over the crossbar.
After several unsuccessful attempts at crosses, the UAE U23 team had a chance when the ball found Khalfan's feet. However, in an unfavorable position, his shot went over the crossbar.
111' – Ly Duc is fouled.
Following a header pass from a UAE U23 player, Al Menhali burst into the penalty area looking for a shot. Ly Duc was fouled by the opponent. Despite repeated protests from the UAE U23 team, the referee maintained his decision to allow Vietnam U23 to take a free kick.
109' – Dangerous free kick
Dinh Bac took a free kick from nearly 40 meters out on the left wing. The ball was struck with power and was difficult for goalkeeper Tawhid to catch, and it bounced away. Unfortunately, Anh Quan slipped while rushing in to take the rebound.
End of the first extra time period.
The first period of extra time has ended.Vietnam U23 is currently leading UAE U23 3-2.The two teams switched sides and immediately went into the second period of extra time.
105+1' – Extremely dangerous corner kick
The UAE U23 team was awarded a corner kick on the right wing, the ball swirling straight towards the goal, forcing Trung Kien to make a save. The Vietnam U23 defense didn't clear the ball decisively in the first instance but managed to break up the wall in time. The subsequent cross was easily caught by Trung Kien.
104' – Missed header
The UAE U23 team continued to cross the ball from the right wing, the ball found Yadoo's position, but in a difficult position, his header went too high.
101' – Minh Phúc puts Vietnam ahead!!!
From Dinh Bac's header, Nhat Minh showed his technical skill in the midfield, dribbling past two UAE U23 players before his shot hit an opponent. Thanh Nhan was quick to connect with the ball, creating an opportunity for...Minh PhucHe turned and fired a powerful shot from close range from the penalty spot, giving Vietnam U23 a 3-2 lead.
99' – A free kick causes chaos.
Dinh Bac earned a free kick for Vietnam U23 on the left wing and also delivered a curling cross into the goal area. The UAE U23 defense managed to clear the ball in time to avert the danger.
91' – First extra time period begins
The first period of extra time officially begins, with the UAE U23 team kicking off.
90+6' – A disappointing result for Vietnam U23
Vietnam U23 has the opportunity to seal the match whenAnh QuânHe took a shot inside the penalty area, but the ball narrowly missed the post of the UAE U23 goal. Immediately after this, the referee blew the whistle to end the 90 minutes of regular time and the two teams went into extra time.
90+4' – An inaccurate cross.
CaptainVan KhangHe made a great effort to stay close to the left flank before crossing the ball into the box, but the ball went too deep and wide.
90' – Injury time in the second half
Vietnam U23 had another beautiful passing combination in front of the penalty area, butThanh NhanThe opposing defender closed in on him, causing his shot to miss the target. Injury time was added to the second half.5 minutes.
80' – Ndiaye's shot goes over the crossbar.
Sosu controlled a high pass from his teammate and then released the ball inside. Ndiaye turned and volleyed from an awkward position, causing the shot to fly over the crossbar of the Vietnam U23 goal.
77' – Vietnam U23 makes a substitution.
Coach Kim Sang Sik decided to revamp the attack by bringing in...Thanh NhanandAnh Quâninto the field, as a substitute forLe PhatandNgoc My.
76' – Counter-attack failed but the ball was regained.
A misplaced pass by the UAE U23 team opened up a counter-attacking opportunity for Vietnam U23, featuring Dinh Bac and Le Phat. Despite being challenged by the opponent, Dinh Bac showed determination by retreating to regain possession, successfully preventing a counter-attack from the UAE U23 team.
68' – UAE equalizes 2-2
Akonnor crossed the ball from the left wing into the penalty area. Al Menhali rushed in and headed the ball quickly before Hieu Minh could close in, sending it into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Trung Kien with no chance to save it.
62' – A spectacular backward header by Dinh Bac!!!
Minh Phúc feigned a cross from the right wing, then cut into the center before flicking the ball into the box with his left foot. Lê Phát lowered his head and released the ball with exquisite precision.North TempleHe rushed in and executed a dangerous backward header, putting Vietnam U23 ahead 2-1 against UAE U23.
58' – Missed free kick
Dinh Bac earned a free kick for Vietnam U23 from about 35 meters out on the left wing. He lofted the ball towards the far post, but goalkeeper Tawhid anticipated it well, jumping high to catch it before Hieu Minh could get to it.
54' – Dinh Bac's shot goes wide of the post.
Le Phat intercepted the ball in the midfield area, creating an opportunity for Dinh Bac to surge forward on the right side of the pitch. Pressed by a UAE U23 player, Dinh Bac decided to shoot from outside the penalty area, but the ball went wide of the far post.
52' – Ngoc My misses a chance
From a cross from the right wing by her teammate, Ngoc My had space to head the ball while unmarked. However, the shot lacked accuracy, sending the ball weakly and posing no threat to the UAE U23 goal.
50' – Pressure from corner kicks
Vietnam U23 were awarded two consecutive corner kicks. In the first instance, the ball deflected off a UAE U23 player's foot and went wide of the post. In the next instance, the ball hit Al Menhali's hand, but the player wearing number 10 had his arm close to his body. VAR intervened and confirmed there was no penalty.
47' – UAE increases pressure
Junior Ndiaye cut in from the right wing and delivered a cross into the penalty area. Al Menhali rose high to head the ball, but it wasn't dangerous enough to trouble goalkeeper Trung Kien.
46' – The second half begins
Vietnam U23 kicked off the second half. At the start of the half, coach Kim Sang Sik made a personnel change whenQuoc Cuongcame onto the field as a substitute forXuan Bacdue to injury problems.
45+5' – The first half ends.
The first half ended with the scoreVietnam U23 1-1 UAE U23, after the final minutes which were quite tense and fiercely contested.
45' – Added time in the first half
The referee added extra time to the first half.5 minutes.
42' – UAE quickly equalizes.
From an early cross from the right wing, the ball was sent to the far post where Al Memari rose high to head the ball against the crossbar. Junior Ndiaye was quick to react, heading the rebound into the net from close range to equalize 1-1 for the UAE U23 team.
39' – EXPLOSIVE OPENING GOAL!!!
Dinh Bac made his mark with a burst of speed down the left wing after a pass from Van Khang, beating Burghash before delivering a perfect cross to set up the ball.Le PhatA close-range tap-in put Vietnam U23 ahead 1-0!
38' – Heart-stopping moment at the goalpost
Following Ly Duc's indecisive clearance, the UAE U23 team regained possession, and Abdulaziz unleashed a powerful long-range shot. Trung Kien was beaten, but fortunately for Vietnam U23, the ball only hit the top of the crossbar.
35' – Narrow escape from defeat
The UAE U23 team launched an attack down the right wing and sent a high ball towards the far post. Despite being marked by two red-shirted players, Al Mameri still managed to leap high and head the ball, but fortunately it went wide of the Vietnam U23 goalpost.
34' – Vietnam U23 makes a substitution
Le Viktor was unable to continue playing after a jump and knee-to-head collision with a UAE U23 player. Coach Kim Sang Sik was forced to make a substitution, bringing Dinh Bac onto the field.
28' – No penalty
Al Menhali fell inside the U23 Vietnam penalty area after a challenge, but the referee shook his head and did not award U23 UAE a penalty.
25' – Tight game
"The Golden Star Warriors" are maintaining a tight defensive formation against the UAE U23 team. The West Asian team also doesn't dare to risk pushing their formation forward, resulting in a rather cautious pace of play.
24' – Caution is needed
The Vietnam U23 team has started to make some misplaced passes in the midfield area. The coaching staff will certainly instruct the players to minimize errors as much as possible, given that the opponent is always ready to launch quick counter-attacks.
18' – A well-planned combination play
From a cleverly executed pass by Van Khang, Le Viktor had a chance to break down the wing and cross the ball into the box. Unfortunately, his attempt to pass to Ngoc My was unsuccessful as the opponent anticipated the move.
15' – Goal disallowed
Al Menhali scored against Vietnam U23, but the goal was disallowed due to a handball during the preceding play.
14' – Defending in numbers
The UAE U23 team deployed a deep defensive formation with a large number of players in their own half, accepting to cede control of the game to the red-shirted team.
9' – Scrutinizing each other
Vietnam U23 controlled the game and organized calculated attacks, without rushing to increase the tempo. UAE U23 also proactively played safely, focusing on defense against pressure from their opponents.
7' – Actively closing down the opponent's defense.
The Vietnam U23 team played with great confidence, constantly pressing high in the opening minutes to put pressure on the opposing defense.
5' – A notable attacking move
Van Khang combined with Viktor on the left wing before crossing the ball into the penalty area. Le Phat was closely marked and therefore unable to head the ball effectively.
1' – The match begins
The UAE U23 team had the first kick-off.
UAE U23 starting lineup
Tawhid, Al Mansoori, Al Shamsi, Al Memari, Ali Abdulla, Mansoor Al Menhali, Yousif Al Marzooqi, Solomon Sosu, Junior Ndiaye, Al Menhali, Richard Akonnor
Vietnam U23 starting lineup
Match report of the U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals today, January 16th: Japan 1-1 Jordan (Penalty shootout 4-2)
Penalty shootout concludes – Japan U23 secures qualification to the next round.
Having defeated U23 Jordan 4-2 on penalties, U23 Japan officially secured their place in the next round of the AFC U23 Asian Championship.
4-2 – Japan U23 4-2 Jordan U23
Kawai successfully converted the penalty even though goalkeeper Abdel Rahman guessed the right direction.
3-2 – Japan U23 3-2 Jordan U23
Odeh coolly deceived goalkeeper Araki.
3-1 – Japan U23 3-1 Jordan U23
Sato took a spectacular penalty kick, the ball flying straight into the far corner of the goal.
2-1 – Japan U23 2-1 Jordan U23
Saleh successfully converted the penalty, reducing the deficit for Jordan U23.
2-0 – Japan U23 2-0 Jordan U23
Goalkeeper Abdel Rahman managed to get a touch on Michiwaki's shot, but the ball still rolled over the goal line.
1-0 – Japan U23 1-0 Jordan U23
Mohammad's shot was saved by goalkeeper Araki.
1-0 – Japan U23 1-0 Jordan U23
Ichihara opened the penalty shootout with a shot straight into the middle of the goal.
Time's up – The winner must be decided by penalty shootout.
After a draw in 120 minutes, the two teams proceeded to a penalty shootout.
120' – Extra time
The second period of extra time has an additional minute of play.
117' – Japan U23 misses a chance
Koizumi took a one-touch shot from the cross, but the ball went wide of the post.
110' – Danger from outside the penalty area
Ali unleashed a powerful long-range shot, but the ball went over the crossbar of the Japanese U23 goal.
The second period of extra time has begun.
U23 Jordan kicks off.
End of the first extra time period.
The two teams switched sides, preparing to enter the 15 minutes of the second extra time period.
105' – NO GOAL!
Ali skillfully dribbled past the Japanese U23 defender and then shot from a tight angle, but goalkeeper Araki was in the right position to comfortably catch the ball.
99' – CHANCE!!!
Baker received a good assist from his teammate, but his shot went straight to goalkeeper Araki.
91' – Missed!
Ogura beat Baker and took a long-range shot; the ball deflected off Saleh, changing direction and going wide of the Jordan U23 goal.
The first extra time period has begun.
Japan U23 will kick off.
Time's up!
Japan U23 and Jordan U23 drew 1-1 after 90 minutes, forcing the two teams into 30 minutes of extra time.
90' – Injury Time
The second half had 7 minutes of added time.
86' – Missed!
Ichihara made a mistake, allowing U23 Jordan to counter-attack with a 3-on-2 situation, but Ali's curling shot went wide of the goal.
81' – Jordan U23 suffers a player loss.
Yousef Qashi suffered an injury and had to leave the field on a stretcher.
73' – VAR!!! No penalty
Odeh claimed he was pulled by his shirt after turning and shooting, but the referee reviewed VAR and decided not to award a penalty.
65' – VAR!!! No penalty
Furuya fell in the penalty area after a collision with goalkeeper Abdel Rahman. The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot but reversed his decision after reviewing VAR.
59' – Jordan U23 misses a chance
Umeki made a mistake in the penalty area, and Ali failed to capitalize on the golden opportunity.
56' – Danger from outside the penalty area
Mahmoud tried his luck with a skillful shot, but Araki reacted quickly to save it for Japan U23.
50' – GOAL!!! 1-1 FOR JAPAN U23
Substitute player Shusuke Furuya scored the equalizer for Japan U23.
48' – NOT ALLOWED
Ali dribbled past Ozeki on the right wing and passed the ball across, but Sato managed to get back in time to clear the ball and avert the danger for Japan U23.
46' – The second half begins
U23 Jordan kicks off.
End of first half – Jordan U23 are leading.
Japan U23 went into halftime trailing Jordan U23 by one goal.
45' – Added time in the first half
The first half had 4 minutes of added time.
44' – Difficulty in building up play
Ichihara's long pass went too far, and Yokoyama couldn't reach the ball. The Japanese U23 team is facing many difficulties in organizing attacks.
36' – A missed opportunity
Hajabi fumbled the ball in the penalty area, but Ozeki failed to capitalize on the opportunity to finish the chance.
30' – Jordan opens the scoring.
Ali struck the ball accurately into the far corner of the net, scoring the opening goal for Jordan U23.
21' – Dangerous response
Taking advantage of a through ball, Ali took a quick shot, but the ball went just wide of the post.
16' – Goalkeeper makes a save
Yokoyama's through ball tore through the Jordan U23 defense, but in the one-on-one situation, Sato couldn't beat goalkeeper Abdel Rahman.
11' – Opportunity slipped away
Following Yokoyama's breakthrough on the left wing, Nwadike had a chance to win an aerial duel inside the penalty area, but his header went over the crossbar.
9' – Goal disallowed
Nwadike broke free after a one-two with Ozeki and unleashed a quick shot, but goalkeeper Abdel Rahman made a timely save from a clear position.
3' – Incorrect cross
Momen crossed the ball into the penalty area, but it went slightly too high for Ali's jump.
1' – Early opportunity blocked
Sato combined with Ozeki on a short corner kick before passing the ball back to Nwadike for a shot, but the Jordan U23 defender made a timely save.
The ball is rolling!
Japan U23 kicks off.
Japan U23 starting lineup
Araki, Umeki, Ichihara, Okabe, Mori, Ozeki, Ogura, Sato, Yokoyama, Ishibashi, Nwadike
Jordan U23 starting lineup
Abdelrahman, Samarah, Hajabi, Ayman, Mohammad, Qashi, Odeh, Mahmoud, Momen, Alkhob, Ali
Asian U23 Football Championship Quarter-final Schedule, January 16, 2026
Following the group stage, the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup have been determined, with eight teams participating: Vietnam U23, Jordan U23, Japan U23, UAE U23, South Korea U23, Uzbekistan U23, China U23, and Australia U23.
According to the U23 Asian Championship schedule for January 16th, the match between U23 Japan and U23 Jordan will begin at 6:30 PM on January 16th, 2026.
Next, the highly anticipated match between Vietnam U23 and UAE U23 will officially take place at 10:30 PM on January 16, 2026.
| DATE AND TIME | MATCH | DIRECT |
| 16/01 18:30 | Japan U23 vs Jordan U23 | VTV5, VTV6 |
| 16/01 22:30 | Vietnam U23 vs UAE U23 | VTV2, VTV5, VTV6 |
Match preview: Japan U23 vs Jordan U23 (6:30 PM today, January 16th)
Japan U23 secured their place in the quarterfinals early after two convincing victories, most notably a crushing 3-0 win against UAE U23. Their balanced attacking and defensive style, along with quality players like Ozeki and Sato, allowed the "Young Samurai" to consistently control the game and create stable pressure.
Conversely, the Jordan U23 team also made an impression by advancing through the group stage after a series of exciting matches. However, their defense still showed many weaknesses, having conceded as many as four goals – a weakness that is difficult to conceal against an opponent with diverse attacking capabilities like Japan.
With a well-balanced squad, high form, and superior composure, the Japanese U23 team is considered clearly the better side and is highly likely to completely control the match.
Predicted score: Japan U23 3-0 Jordan U23.
Match preview: Vietnam U23 vs UAE U23 (10:30 PM today, January 16th)
Having topped Group A in the group stage, the Vietnam U23 team entered the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship with high confidence. Their opponent will be the UAE U23 team – the runner-up in Group B, ranked 39 places higher in the FIFA rankings, and undefeated in their five previous encounters.
However, what happened in the group stage showed that the "Golden Star Warriors" are no longer intimidated by highly-rated opponents. U23 Jordan, U23 Kyrgyzstan, and especially the host U23 Saudi Arabia all successively fell to the composure, discipline, and tenacity of the U23 Vietnam team.
At Prince Abdullah AlFaisal Sports City Stadium, the Vietnam U23 team has every reason to believe in a positive scenario, where they continue to surprise another Middle Eastern representative thanks to their tight game and ability to capitalize on opportunities.
Predicted score: Vietnam U23 2-1 UAE U23.
