In the 36th minute, from a corner, the ball flicked off two players’ heads before falling to Nguyen Cong Phuong, who executed a breathtaking volley that beat keeper Muhammad Ardiansyah and sent the Vietnamese bench into celebration.
After conceding the goal, the home team became even more hasty and had more fierce situations. According to statistics, in just over 45 minutes in the first half, they committed 8 fouls, 4 times more than the U23 Vietnam team.
In the second half, U23 Indonesia was forced to hold the ball to advance their attack. However, their deployment speed was not fast enough and was easily neutralized by the Vietnamese players. U23 Vietnam maintained a 1-0 victory, thereby winning the U23 Southeast Asian Championship for the third consecutive time.
This third consecutive championship (in 2022, 2023, and 2025) has helped U23 Vietnam maintain its status as the most successful team in the tournament’s history. According to statistics, the Vietnamese team has won 13 consecutive matches in the tournament over the past six years (from the third-place playoff in 2019 to the present); this is also the second consecutive time they’ve defeated Indonesia in the final.
In addition to the championship title, U23 Vietnam also earned an individual award, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac has made history in regional football when he became the first Vietnamese player to win the Best Player award at the U23 Southeast Asian tournament.
Speaking to the media at the post-match press conference, coach Kim Sang-sik emotionally shared: "I am very happy that U23 Vietnam won U23 Indonesia, defending the championship. This is the third consecutive U23 Southeast Asian championship for U23 Vietnam. The players did not give up, fighting until the last minute. I congratulate the players and the fans. I am very proud of my players. In this match, the stadium was mainly filled with Indonesian fans, but the players still maintained their fighting spirit."
Coach Kim Sang-sik also became the first coach to win both the AFF Championship (Mitsubishi Cup) and the AFF U-23 Championship.
According to the schedule, the entire team will depart Indonesia at 1:50 PM on July 30. They are expected to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 5:00 PM the same day. Afterward, the team will continue with a connecting flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, with the domestic flight expected to land at Nội Bài Airport at 10:00 PM.
HY