Make history! U23 Asian Cup: Vietnam eliminates Qatar 6-5 on penalties

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At 16:00 on January 23rd, Beijing time, in the semifinals of the U23 Asian Cup, Qatar faced Vietnam. In the 39th minute of the match, a Vietnamese defender committed a foul inside the penalty area, and the referee promptly awarded Qatar a penalty kick. Akram Afif converted it instantly, giving Qatar a 1-0 lead. In the 69th minute of the match, taking advantage of a defensive mistake by a Qatari defender, Nguyen Quang Hai scored with a shot, bringing the score to 1-1 and putting both teams back on equal terms. In the 87th minute of the match, Moez Ali scored with a close-range shot, allowing Qatar to take the lead again with a score of 2-1. Just when everyone thought the match was over, Nguyen Quang Hai made consecutive breaks and fired a curved shot with his left foot – 2-2! Vietnam equalized the score once again. The two sides drew 2-2 in regular time; neither side managed to score in extra time. In the penalty shootout, Vietnam defeated Qatar 4-3, advancing to the final with a total score of 6-5. Making it to the finals for the first time. After the match, the whole of Vietnam celebrated this historic moment.