U23 Asian Cup qualifiers: Vietnam beat Yemen, win berth to Qatar next year

Viet Tri stadium in Phu Tho province was crowded with Vietnamese supporters who expected a win over Yemen would send Vietnam directly to Qatar next year.

Coach Philippe Troussier’s players did not perform well on their home turf in the first minutes, letting their visitors challenge the defense line several times.

Luckily, goalkeeper Van Viet performed brilliantly, refusing Yemeni players’ two goals.

Throughout the game, Vietnamese players held the ball most of the time and carved out a number of scoring chances, but they all failed.

Troussier was not satisfied with a draw. He made some substitutions that prove effective. Five minutes to go, Khuat Van Khang passed the ball to Sy Hao who headed home, clinching a goal for Vietnam.

The 1-0 win means Vietnam get six points after two Group C matches and officially win a ticket to Qatar for the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals next year.

Vietnam are scheduled to play Singapore in their last Group C match, but the encounter is not so important to Troussier’s players.