South Korea finished fourth at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after losing 7-6 on penalties to 10-man Vietnam in the third-place match. The teams were tied 2-2 after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time, with Vietnam, coached by South Korean Kim Sang-sik, prevailing in the shootout. South Korea had aimed to end the tournament on a high note following a 1-0 semifinal loss to Japan.
At the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on January 23 (local time), South Korea faced Vietnam in a tense third-place match at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup. Coached by Lee Min-sung, South Korea struggled early against Vietnam's resilient defense, conceding the first goal to Nguyen Quoc Viet in the 30th minute. Four minutes later, a potential penalty for a collision involving Jung Seung-bae was overturned after video review.
Kim Tae-won equalized for South Korea in the 69th minute, but Nguyen Dinh Bac responded just two minutes later to restore Vietnam's lead. The game turned dramatically in the 86th minute when Nguyen Dinh Bac received a direct red card, leaving Vietnam with 10 players. South Korea forced extra time with Shin Min-ha's stoppage-time equalizer.
Extra time yielded no goals, leading to a penalty shootout. Both teams converted their first six penalties, but Vietnam's Cao Van Binh saved Bae Hyun-seo's seventh attempt, and Nguyen Thanh Nhan beat Hwang Jae-yun to secure a 7-6 victory for Vietnam. Despite dominating with 75.6% possession, 12-3 shots, 32-5 attempts, and 61-4 crosses, South Korea could not convert their superiority.
Vietnam, under South Korean coach Kim Sang-sik, topped Group A and beat the United Arab Emirates 3-2 in the quarterfinals before a 3-0 semifinal loss to China. This marks their best finish since runner-up in 2018 under Park Hang-seo. South Korea advanced as runners-up in Group C behind Uzbekistan, defeating Australia 2-1 in the quarters but falling 1-0 to Japan in the semis.
Coach Lee noted post-match that the team is still developing ahead of this year's Asian Games: "We are not a complete team yet. We should have played with more composure in extra time." Kim praised his players' resilience: "They displayed great mental fortitude. This victory will help them grow." The tournament serves as preparation for South Korea's pursuit of a fourth straight U-23 Asian Games gold.
