Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s national futsal team made a dramatic start to their AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 campaign on January 27, staging an impressive comeback to defeat Kuwait 5-4 and secure all three points in Group B at the tournament being held in Indonesia.
Kuwait took an early lead in the match, applying intense pressing and capitalising on mistakes in Vietnam’s defence. In the 7th minute, Alenezi seized an opportunity after a turnover in midfield to open the scoring for Kuwait, before Borashed unleashed a powerful strike to make it 2-0 in the 9th minute, putting the Vietnam futsal team under heavy pressure.
Undeterred, the players in red gradually regained control of the match. Also in the 9th minute, Chau Doan Phat capitalised on an opponent’s mistake, poking the ball home with the tip of his boot to pull the score back to 1–2 and reignite hope for Vietnam. From then on, the tempo increased as the Vietnam futsal team launched a series of attacking moves. Their efforts were rewarded in the 15th minute when Thinh Phat showed great composure on the left flank and finished clinically to level the score at 2–2.
However, just as momentum swung in Vietnam’s favour, they were caught out by a quick Kuwaiti counterattack, with Alshatti restoring the lead at 3–2 in the 19th minute.
With just one second remaining in the first half, captainNguyen Manh Dung finished clinically to level the score at 3-3.
In the second half, Tu Minh Quang put Vietnam ahead 4-3 in the 30th minute. Two minutes later, Nguyen Manh Dung struck again to extend the lead to 5-3. Kuwait managed to narrow the gap to 4-5 in the 38th minute, but Vietnam held firm until the final whistle.
The 5-4 victory not only earned Vietnam a crucial three points, but also provided a major psychological boost as they continue their Group B campaign, which also features strong contenders Thailand and Lebanon./.
Vietnam futsal team gears up for AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026
The Vietnam futsal team will begin training on January 2, 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the guidance of Argentine coach Diego Giustozzi, the team will enter a crucial intensive preparation phase with a high training workload, aiming to reach peak form ahead of Asia’s premier futsal tournament.
