Vietnam could not spring the expected surprise in the first match at the Asian U-23 Football Championship in Qatar on January 14.

U23 Vietnam lost against U23 Jordan

Coach Toshyia Miura said on January 14 in a press briefing that Vietnam could make a bang against Jordan. But things were not easy for the coach and the team who took part in their first-ever continental championship.

The youngest team at the event lost 1-3 to Jordan in the opening game of the Group D.

Bahia Faisal scored a double and his teammate Omar Ahmad Almahashar added another one.

Vietnam’s only goal belonged to midfielder Do Duy Manh just five minutes before the end.

Before the tournament began, Miura had set a target of entering the quarter-final round and hoped to pocket four points from three group matches.

Vietnam will next meet Australia on January 17 while Jordan is to play the UAE.

In other groups, Pinyo Inpinit’s 84th minute equaliser salvaged a deserved point as Thailand claimed a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in the teams’ Group B opener at Grand Hamad Stadium.

In Doha on January 13, Moon Chang-jin scored a goal in each half as the Republic of Korea edged out 10-man Uzbekistan 2-1 to make a winning start to Group C.

Truc Phuong