With a lackluster win, Vietnam may miss the 2026 AFC U23 Championship; Ronaldo shines in Portugal's 5-0 win

With a lackluster win, Vietnam may miss the 2026 AFC U23 Championship

U23 Vietnam continued to play unimpressively when they only won 1-0 against Singapore.

With a hard-fought 1-0 win, U23 Vietnam regained the top spot in Group C from Yemen thanks to a better goal difference, with the same 6 points after 2 matches. However, after this unconvincing performance, the question arises: Can coach Kim Sang-sik and his team qualify, or will they miss out on the 2026 AFC U23 Championship?

Because to qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, Vietnam needs not only points, but also a convincing playing style. And through the two wins against Bangladesh and Singapore, what U23 Vietnam has shown clearly does not bring peace of mind.

In the final round, U23 Vietnam will meet U23 Yemen. The winner will advance to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, while the loser will be eliminated due to poor goal difference.

Goalkeeper died right after successfully blocking a penalty

A tragedy occurred in Brazilian football when goalkeeper Antonio Edson dos Santos Sousa suddenly collapsed and died just seconds after successfully blocking a penalty kick with his chest.

The incident was recorded live on social media: Edson, 34, affectionately known as Pixe to his friends, had just rushed to celebrate with his teammates after the save when he suddenly collapsed. Although the players and referee quickly called medical staff for assistance and he was immediately taken to hospital, all efforts to resuscitate him failed.

The tragedy occurred during a five-a-side futsal match at a gymnasium in the city of Augusto Correa, in the state of Pará (northern Brazil). The match was part of a grassroots tournament to celebrate Brazil's independence week. Pixe played for the Sind Motos team.

Ronaldo shines in Portugal's 5-0 win

On the night of September 7, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal's big win over Armenia in Group F, the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe.

In the 21st minute, from a cross from the right wing by Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo moved intelligently to escape the pursuit of two defenders, before stretching to finish close to the goal, giving the goalkeeper no chance to block.

Just 1 minute into the second half, CR7 proved his class with a "cannon shot" from outside the penalty area, raising the score to 4-0 for the team from the Iberian peninsula.

Ronaldo scored his 140th goal for his country and his 942nd career goal. Both are unprecedented statistics. This was also Ronaldo's 7th goal against Armenia.

Not stopping there, the 1985-born superstar also contributed to Portugal's third goal in the 32nd minute. CR7's close-range shot created a chaotic situation in front of the home team's goal. Joao Cancelo took advantage of the confusion of the Armenian defenders to swing his leg to score, increasing the gap for the UEFA Nations League defending champions.

Thailand coach announced that he will eliminate U23 Malaysia

Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul shared after the match between U23 Thailand and U23 Lebanon, with confidence that he will defeat Malaysia.

Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul made frank statements after Thailand U23 was held to a 2-2 draw by Lebanon U23 in the second match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers.

Talking about the opponent in the final round, he was cautious: "The Malaysian strikers have the ability to keep the ball and put pressure very well. This will be a real test to see where U23 Thailand is compared to other teams in the region. I believe the players will play well to defeat Malaysia."

The draw with Lebanon forced Thailand U23 to wait until the last round to decide their fate. According to the schedule, they will face Malaysia U23 at 7:30 p.m. on September 9 at Thammasat Stadium (Pathum Thani). Thailand must beat Malaysia U23 to advance.