The Vietnamese team lost 1-3 to Iraq in the final match of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.
Having been eliminated before the match, the Vietnamese team entered the game with a comfortable mindset in the match against Iraq. Coach Kim Sang-sik’s students played hard with great determination but still lost.
The Vietnamese team did not let the opponent pressure them continuously but still had to concede an early goal. In the 12th minute, right-back Hussein Ali fired a surprising and beautiful long-range shot to open the score for the home team.
The Vietnamese team lost to Iraq.
Losing quickly, the Vietnamese team could not maintain stability in defense. In the 17th minute, Nguyen Filip fouled an Iraqi player in the penalty area after Van Thanh’s mistake. The Vietnamese team got lucky when Mohanad Ali missed the goal with a penalty kick.
It wasn’t until the end of the first half that the Vietnamese team had their first notable attack. Nguyen Quang Hai’s efforts helped him put the ball into the opponent’s net, but this player was flagged for fouling Rebin Ghareeb. Vu Van Thanh had a chance to face the goalkeeper but slipped when taking the shot.
Entering the second half, the Vietnamese team was still under great pressure from the home team’s strikers. In the 50th minute, young midfielder Ali Jasim shot the ball against the bar.
However, the star born in 2004 did not have to wait long to celebrate the goal. In the 72nd minute, the best player of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship launched a long shot, the ball lightly touched the Vietnamese defender and went out of reach of goalkeeper Filip. The Iraqi team doubled the gap.
In the final minutes of the match, coach Kim Sang-sik brought Nguyen Tuan Anh onto the field and the Vietnamese team played a 4-2-3-1 tactical formation. This was the moment that marked the first time the Korean coach used his preferred formation on the Vietnamese team, after choosing the same lineup as his two predecessors.
In the 84th minute, Pham Tuan Hai shot a beautiful long-range shot to shorten the score to 1-2 for the Vietnamese team. However, the Iraqi team still maintains the habit of scoring goals in extra time. Aymen Hussein’s cushion from more than 5 meters away extinguished Nguyen Filip and his teammates’ hopes of winning a point.
Result: Iraq 3-1 Vietnam
Scored
Iraq: Hussein Ali (12′); Ali Jasim (72′); Aymen Hussein (90+2′).
Vietnam: Tuan Hai (84′)
Iraq vs Vietnam lineup
Iraq: Jalal Hassan (12), Ahmed Yahya (15), Zaid Tahseen (6), Rebin Ghareeb (5), Hussein Haydar (3), Amir Fouad (16), Youssef Wali (19), Osamah Jabbar (20), Luay Al Ani (11), Ali Jasim (17) Mohanad Ali (10)
Vietnam: Nguyen Filip (1), Phan Tuan Tai (12), Nguyen Thanh Binh (6), Bui Hoang Viet Anh (20), Do Duy Manh (2), Vu Van Thanh (17), Khuat Van Khang (3 ), Nguyen Hoang Duc (14), Nguyen Duc Chien (15), Nguyen Quang Hai (19), Nguyen Tien Linh (22).