2026 AFC Futsal Championship: Thrilling Comeback as Vietnam Defeats Kuwait 5-4 in Opening Match

Entering the match with high determination, Coach Diego Giustozzi’s squad soon faced difficulties. From the early minutes, Kuwait applied intense pressing and capitalized on defensive errors by Vietnam. At the 7th minute, Alenezi seized the opportunity after a midfield turnover to open the scoring for Kuwait, followed by Borashed’s powerful shot in the 9th minute that extended the lead to 2-0, putting Vietnam’s futsal team in a challenging position.

Unfazed, the players in red gradually regained control. Also in the 9th minute, Chau Doan Phat took advantage of the opponent’s mistake to score with a toe-poke, narrowing the gap to 1-2 and reigniting hope for his team. The match intensified with numerous attacks from Vietnam. Their efforts paid off in the 15th minute when Thinh Phat skillfully maneuvered on the left wing and scored precisely to equalize 2-2. However, just as momentum built, Vietnam allowed a quick counterattack from Kuwait, and Alshatti scored to make it 3-2 in the 19th minute.

The drama peaked with only one second left in the first half. From a decisive attacking move, captain Nguyen Manh Dung struck accurately to level the score at 3-3, bringing the game back to even before halftime.

In the second half, Vietnam’s futsal team played with greater confidence and control. After several consecutive shots, at the 30th minute, Tu Minh Quang unleashed a quick strike, putting the red team ahead 4-3 for the first time. This goal forced Kuwait to push forward but also left gaps at the back.

At the 32nd minute, from a well-organized free kick, captain Nguyen Manh Dung completed his brace, extending Vietnam’s lead to 5-3.

Although trailing by two goals, Kuwait did not implement power-play tactics and showed signs of fatigue with less precise plays. Yet, the tension rose again in the 38th minute when goalkeeper number 5 Alsarraj’s touch on a Vietnamese player during an offensive push deflected the ball into the net, reducing the deficit to 4-5 for Kuwait.

The final minutes were extremely intense. At the 39th minute, Vietnam committed their fifth collective foul, forcing the red team to play very cautiously to avoid conceding a penalty kick to Kuwait. Despite heavy pressure from the opponent, Coach Giustozzi’s players maintained focus and successfully defended their narrow lead until the final whistle.

The nail-biting 5-4 victory over Kuwait not only earned a full 3 points but also provided a significant morale boost for Vietnam’s futsal team at the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship as they face strong rivals like Thailand and Lebanon in Group B ahead.