UAE admits their football wasn't beautiful after winning against Vietnam.

"Vietnam is a strong team, one of the top teams in Asia right now, like Japan or South Korea. So we had to fight hard. Maybe UAE didn't play beautifully today, but the important thing is to win," coach Skorza Maciej shared.

UAE defeated Vietnam 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.Photo: Duc Dong.

The UAE had to retreat and defend right after the opening whistle. However, while under intense pressure, they unexpectedly scored a goal. Following a poor back pass from Van Thanh, Alhashmi dribbled straight into the penalty area and fired a low shot past goalkeeper Tien Dung in the 17th minute.

Vietnam only needed 10 minutes to find the equalizer thanks to Van Quyet. For the remainder of the match, Coach Park Hang-seo's team completely dominated the game, creating many opportunities but unable to score another goal.

With the score tied 1-1 after two halves, Vietnam and UAE went to a penalty shootout to decide the winner. Quang Hai and Minh Vuong missed their penalties, while all four opposing players successfully beat Tien Dung. Vietnam missed the opportunity to win its first-ever medal at the Asian Games.

“I reiterate that Vietnam is a top team in Asia. Today, they played better and created more opportunities than us. I am truly happy that our team won,” said coach Skorza Maciej.

On their way to winning the bronze medal, the UAE secured three victories in penalty shootouts against Indonesia, North Korea, and Vietnam. In the group stage, they only managed a win against Timor Leste and advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams. However, when an Indonesian reporter suggested that the UAE's bronze medal win was due to luck, coach Skorza Maciej vehemently refuted the claim. The Polish coach stated: "I disagree with this view. In football, there are many ways to win. My players fought hard and deservedly won the medal."