Vietnam duo boast impressive stats at U23 Asian Cup

After four games, Anh had made 18 successful clearances, the most so far in the tournament. He shared that number with Turkmenistan’s Yhlas Toydjanov. Anh also scored one goal in the 2-0 win against Malaysia.

Tai made the most number of assists with one in the game with Thailand and another against Malaysia. Four other players with two assists are Mostafa Tarek (Qatar), Takashi Uchino (Japan), Khojimat Erkinov (Uzbekistan) and Moamel Abdulridha (Iraq).

Tai also scored one goal, the fastest so far in the tournament. His long-distance shot into Thailand’s net in the 17th second of the game is also the third-fastest goal in U23 Asian Cup history.

This will be Anh’s last U23 tournament since he will turn 24 soon, but Tai can still take part in the next U23 Asian Cup, a qualifier for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Vietnam exited the 2022 U23 Asian Cup after losing 0-2 to Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals Sunday. Before that, they peaked second in group C with two draws, against Thailand and South Korea, and one win against Malaysia.