Vietnam suffered a defeat in injury time against Iraq.
(Baonghean.vn) - Despite being considered the stronger team, Iraq only managed to score against Vietnam in the 95th minute. The match, part of the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, took place at My Dinh Stadium.
The match against Iraq marks the first time the Vietnamese national team has played at home in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region. Prior to this, coach Troussier's team secured an important victory against the Philippines. This win also served as a crucial turning point, helping the Golden Star Warriors overcome their psychological barriers and advance to the second match.
Particularly in the match against Iraq, Que Ngoc Hai, after recovering from injury, was fielded in the starting lineup by coach Troussier.
In the opening minutes of the match, Iraq played cautiously, probing the opponent's defense and not really pushing forward to control the game. However, starting from the 10th minute, Iraq began to increase the tempo of their attack. As a result, the visiting team created more opportunities in front of Van Lam's goal.
In the 10th minute, Ali Adnan created a dangerous situation for Vietnam's goal with a corner kick that curled straight towards the net. Although startled, Van Lam managed to control the situation and push the ball away on the goal line.
Less than five minutes later, another dangerous opportunity arose in front of Van Lam's goal. Tuan Tai made a misplaced pass, but luckily the Vietnamese goalkeeper played well, diving to catch Ali Jasim's low, angled shot.
More than two-thirds of the first half had passed, but the home team had hardly created any truly dangerous opportunities in front of the opponent's goal. Meanwhile, Iraq, with their superior class, created numerous chances in front of Van Lam's goal.
In the 30th minute, the Iraqi team changed their attacking approach with direct attacks through the center, creating a scoring opportunity for Aymen Husein. However, despite being in a comfortable position, his shot lacked power and accuracy, allowing Van Lam to easily dive and catch the ball.
Before the first 45 minutes ended, the Iraqi team created another dangerous situation in front of Van Lam's goal, but Jasim's cross into the box was not converted into a goal by Resan.
In the second half, the Vietnamese team played better and created more opportunities in front of the opponent's goal. In the 60th minute, Thanh Bình made a long pass to Tuấn Hải, who headed the ball past goalkeeper Hassan, but the striker was ruled offside.
More than 10 minutes later, Vietnam had another opportunity against Iraq. From a situation where Van Khang made an effort to dribble down the left, he then delivered a cross into the 5.5-meter area for Tuan Hai, but the striker was unable to head the ball because the Iraqi center-back, with his superior physique, cleared the ball away.
In the 80th minute, Vietnam created a clear scoring opportunity, but failed to take the lead. Van Khang combined with Dinh Bac on the left wing, allowing the 19-year-old midfielder to cross the ball towards the far post for Thanh Nhan. However, the striker slipped and was unable to finish.
Just when it seemed the match would end in a draw, the Vietnamese team suffered a bitter blow in injury time with a goal from Mohanad Ali. Iraq's goal came from Bayesh dribbling down the right wing and crossing the ball in. Van Lam rushed out but couldn't punch the ball away, as Mohanad Ali had already pounced on it and headed the ball into the empty net.
The match ended with the Vietnamese team accepting defeat against Iraq with a score of 0-1.
On March 26, 2024, the Vietnamese national team will play their third match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia.
