U23 Asian Cup Third-Place Play-off: Vietnam U23 vs. Korea Republic U23 – Coach Kim Sang-sik Faces Homeland
The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup concludes with an intriguing third-place play-off between Vietnam U23 and Korea Republic U23. This match carries extra significance as Vietnam's head coach, Kim Sang-sik, will face his home country. Both teams aim to end their tournament campaign on a high note after suffering defeats in the semifinals.
Match Background & Qualification Scenarios
The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, hosted by Saudi Arabia, is drawing to a close. This third-place play-off sees Vietnam U23 and Korea Republic U23 facing each other after their respective semifinal losses to China U23 and Japan U23. For both young squads, securing third place is not just about honor, but also about gaining invaluable experience in a major tournament. It is important to note that this edition of the Asian Cup is not an Olympic qualifying event, thus the teams' focus will be on team development and morale boosting.
Recent Form
Vietnam U23 showcased strong form leading up to the semifinals, remaining undefeated in Group A after victories against Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, and Saudi Arabia, before triumphing over the United Arab Emirates 3-2 in extra time during the quarterfinals. Their impressive run, however, ended with a 0-3 defeat to China U23 in the semifinals. Korea Republic U23 also demonstrated formidable capabilities, reaching the semifinals where they narrowly lost 0-1 to Japan U23. Their journey included a victory over Australia U23 in the earlier stages. This match will test both teams' resilience and ability to bounce back from their semifinal disappointments.
Key Players & Injury News
Vietnam U23 is led by South Korean head coach Kim Sang-sik, making this third-place encounter a uniquely challenging fixture for him as he faces his homeland. In their semifinal match against China, Vietnam defender Hieu Minh suffered a knee injury and was stretchered off, while fellow defender Pham Li Duc received a red card, potentially impacting the squad's depth for this match. For Korea Republic U23, coached by Lee Min-sung, specific key player injury reports are not available at this time. Both teams' young talents will be eager to prove themselves in this significant match, aiming to establish themselves as future pillars of their respective national teams. Given it is an U23 competition, squad rotation and the emergence of new talents are typical.