Vietnam to play against Uzbekistan in AFC U23 champs final

Vietnam's U23 team vs Qatar (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will play against Uzbekistan in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship being held in Changzhou, China.

Earlier, in the first semifinal, Vietnam beat Qatar 4-3 in the penalty shootout to win a place in the final.

The thrilling match ended 2-2 after official time, causing the two teams to play extra time, but no more goals were scored.

It was the second match in a row in this tournament in which Vietnam had to play more than 120 minutes. The players were exhausted, but this did not prevent them from enjoying victory for the second time.

Goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung saved two kicks from Qatari while Nguyen Quang Hai, who scored both goals for Vietnam in the match, failed to beat keeper Mohammed Al Bakari.

Defender Vu Van Thanh was the last player to shoot the penalty for Vietnam. Millions of people held their breath and burst into tears of happiness when he succeeded.

The players cried, supporters cried and, in Vietnam, people hugged each other and cheered as they began the second instant-flag parade in a week through cities and towns. 

"It was difficult to describe my feelings at present. I am really happy with the result," said Hai in an interview with international media.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan defeated the Republic of Korea 4-1 in the other semifinal lasting for 120 minutes to advance to the final match.-VNA