10-men Vietnam on April 17 beat 10-men Kuwait 3-1 in their dramatic Group D opener of the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup getting underway in Qatar.

Taking on the same opponents, Vietnamese players entered the game quite comfortably, but they did not have good coordination. Both Khuat Van Khang and Nguyen Van Tung got hurt in a ball fight.

Vietnam failed to take advantage in the 33rd minute when a Kuwaiti player was red-carded following his harsh foul against Khuat Van Khang.

It wasn't until the second minute of extra time in the first half, Nguyen Van Tung moved cleverly to avoid the offside trap and then made a delicate finish to break the deadlock.

Shortly after the goal, Vietnam played with 10 men when defender Nguyen Ngoc Thang received a red card following his foul against a Kuwaiti player in the penalty box, giving the opponents the chance to earn an equalizer ahead of the break.

In the second half, coach Hoang Anh Tuan sent in striker Bui Vi Hao who created a turning point for U23 Vietnam. The young striker became the hero of the match when he scored a brace for U23 Vietnam. Kuwaiti goalkeeper Abdulrahman Marzouq did not perform well in Vi Hao’s two goals.

After an eventful first half, U23 Vietnam played much better in the second half and won all 3 well-deserved points in the end.

In another Group D match, Uzbekistan overwhelmed Malaysia 2-0.

Vietnam are scheduled to play Malaysia in their second Group D match on April 20.