Vietnam wins U23 International Football Championship

Vietnam’s U23 team won the U23 International Football Championship – Vinaphone Cup 2018 which concluded at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on August 7. (Source: VNA)

The team tied 1-1 in the last match with Uzbekistan, who beat Vietnam in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship 20 18 held in China in January. 

With two wins and a draw, Vietnam walked away with 20,000 USD in cash. Earlier, they beat U23 Oman 1-0 and defeated Palestine 2-1. 

With the support of home fans, Vietnam played confidently from the whistle, and nearly opened the scoring in the first minute through midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai. 

Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong also hit the crossbar after a through ball from Nguyen Van Quyet. 

After the break, Uzbekistan broke the deadlock thanks to Kakhramonov in the 66th minute, but 14 minutes later, Vietnam’s efforts paid off through a well taken goal from Phan Van Duc. 

The event was part of the team’s preparation for the Asian Games (ASIAD) in Indonesia. 

At the ASIAD Games, Vietnam is in Group D alongside Japan, Pakistan and Nepal. 

The men’s football will kick off on August 14 and will finish on September 1. It will feature 26 teams in two groups of five and four groups of four. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-place teams will advance to the second round./.

VNA