Bangladesh opened their AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 defeat against hosts Vietnam. From the first whistle, the home side looked stronger in every department and set the tone with their pressing and control of possession.
Vietnam began brightly, pushing their attacks down the wings and moving the ball with confidence. On 15 minutes, Nguyen Van Truong released a clever through ball that split the defence. Nguyen Ngoc My raced onto it, used his pace to beat the Bangladeshi backline, and calmly slotted home to give Vietnam the lead.
Bangladesh struggled to match Vietnam’s tempo. The hosts were comfortable passing short, switching play with long balls, and rotating positions in midfield. Their quick movement left the Bangladeshi defenders scrambling. Vietnam pressed high up the pitch and gave Bangladesh little time to settle or build from the back. When Bangladesh tried to press in return, Vietnam responded with sharp balls in behind that repeatedly threatened the defence.
Vietnam set up in a 4-3-3 but shifted to a 3-4-3 in possession, crowding the midfield and taking control of the game. Their physical advantage was also clear, as Bangladesh often looked lightweight in midfield battles.
Bangladesh did create chances in the first half. On the 35th minute, Morsalin’s pass found Alamin, but his shot lacked power and was comfortably saved. Six minutes later, another effort from Morsalin was too weak to trouble the goalkeeper. Left-back Zayan Ahmed showed promise with some positive runs, yet Vietnam’s compact defending prevented any real breakthrough. Bangladesh ended the half 1-0 down, and in stoppage time they survived another scare when Vietnam came close again before a defender made the block.
The pattern of the game did not change after the interval. Vietnam kept attacking, while Bangladesh remained stuck defending. The midfield remained the problem area, where Vietnam’s strength and pressing superiority stopped Bangladesh from producing sustained attacks.
On the 63rd minute, Nguyen Xuan Bac tested goalkeeper Srabon with a powerful shot, which he saved well. From the resulting corner, Nguyen Hieu Minh’s header was also stopped on the line. Bangladesh had a half chance two minutes later when a curled effort from the left wing was easily caught by the Vietnamese keeper. Substitute Alamin tried to dribble and hold the ball in advanced areas, but his reluctance to pass meant Bangladesh wasted some attacking opportunities.
Morsalin tried to create chances from midfield, but Vietnam’s physical presence consistently halted his influence. The hosts kept pushing and came close again in the 77th minute when Le Viktor forced a save from Srabon and then struck the crossbar.
Vietnam doubled their lead on 82 minutes. Khuat Van Khang’s shot was initially saved, but from the resulting corner Le Viktor sccored to make it 2-0. Viktor dominated the second half with his energy and movement, and Bangladesh’s defence failed to cope with him.
After the second goal, Vietnam managed the game, sitting deeper and focusing on their defensive shape. Cuba Mitchell, on his first appearance, found it difficult to cope with Vietnam’s physical midfield. Shalik showed glimpses of flair with direct runs, but Vietnam’s strength denied him space in the final third.
Zayan Ahmed, Srabon, Morsalin and Shalik were among the few positives for Bangladesh. Srabon, in particular, made a string of saves to keep the score respectable. In the final minute, Vietnam’s number 17 Phi Hoang struck the bar, narrowly missing the chance to add a third.
The match ended 2-0, and although Bangladesh were relieved not to concede more, the overall performance left them frustrated. As the game wore on, they committed several fouls out of frustration, reflecting the difficulty they faced against Vietnam’s pace, structure and physicality.
Bangladesh now have lessons to learn before their next qualifier, especially in the midfield where they were outplayed and outmuscled.
