Vietnam U23 received 94% of the votes to win against China U23.
Asian fans have placed absolute faith in coach Kim Sang-sik and his team, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of votes on the AFC website ahead of their semi-final clash against China U23.
Ahead of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup semi-final, the Vietnam U23 team is creating a real sensation across the continent. According to data from the official voting portal of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the confidence that fans have in the Southeast Asian representative in their clash with China U23 has reached almost absolute levels.
The 94% dominance and the strength of coach Kim Sang-sik's team.
As of now, the "Match Predictor" feature, recently activated by the AFC, shows a surprising disparity in predicted results. A staggering 94% of participants believe that the Vietnam U23 team will win and advance to the final. Conversely, the China U23 team has only received a mere 6% of the votes.
This confidence is entirely justified when looking at the actual performance chart. The Vietnam U23 team boasts a perfect winning streak with 4 consecutive wins since the start of the tournament. Their convincing playing style and high fighting spirit have made the team under coach Kim Sang-sik the number one contender for a place in the next round. Conversely, although they have reached the semi-finals, the China U23 team's journey is considered more challenging with draws interspersed with wins.
Japan dominated South Korea in the other bracket.
In the other semi-final match, which will take place earlier at 6:30 PM on January 20th, the balance also heavily favors the team from the Land of the Rising Sun. U23 Japan currently has 85% of the votes to win compared to a modest 15% for U23 South Korea.
Similar to Vietnam, the Japanese U23 team is maintaining an impressive four-match winning streak. Meanwhile, the South Korean U23 team is considered weaker by experts and fans due to their inconsistent performance throughout the tournament.
Statistical table of predicted odds for the U23 Asian Cup 2026 semi-finals.
| Match pair | Time (January 20) | The favorite team (%) | Underdog team (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semifinal 1 | 18:30 | Japan U23 (85%) | South Korea U23 (15%) |
| Semifinal 2 | 22:30 | Vietnam U23 (94%) | China U23 (6%) |
Facing a highly motivated Vietnam U23 team is clearly a huge challenge for the Chinese team. The highly anticipated match between Vietnam U23 and China U23 will take place at 10:30 PM on January 20th, attracting significant attention from football fans in the region.