At 23:30 Beijing Time on January 20, in the semifinals of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup, China's U23 men's football team will face Vietnam's U23 men's football team. For the Chinese U23 side, which has already achieved its best-ever result in history, this will be another tough battle.
After defeating Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, the U23 national team is in high spirits. However, head coach Antonio reminded his players to stay humble during the pre-match press conference: "We are very happy to be here. This is an unforgettable experience for me, the team, and everyone involved. Our strategy has always been to take it one game at a time. Reaching the semifinals was our dream, and we will give our all to fight for a place in the final."
"We know Vietnam well-we've faced them two or three times before. They are well-organized, solid in defense, and extremely quick in transition. Tomorrow's match will definitely be very difficult, but my players are aware of this and are ready for the challenge." On the other hand, Vietnam's head coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his excitement about the team's strong performance so far: "I am extremely happy, honored, and thrilled that we can compete for the championship alongside teams like South Korea, Japan, and China. Looking back at our journey-from the match against Jordan to the quarterfinal against the UAE-our players have faced strong opponents and gone through many tough moments. Each time, they showed resilience and played intelligently. That's why we are where we are today."
"I expect China to be a tough opponent. They have reached the semifinals for the first time and are in high spirits, boasting a solid defense led by goalkeeper Li Hao. However, we are fully prepared and will perform at our best."
This match will be the first encounter between Vietnam and China in the history of the U23 Asian Cup. China has kept clean sheets in all four of their matches in this tournament, with goalkeeper Li Hao making 24 saves-the most by any goalkeeper in the past four editions. Meanwhile, Vietnam has won all four of their matches and scored eight goals, equaling their goal tally from their runner-up finish in the 2018 U23 Asian Cup.
