Quan Văn Chuẩn (green), moments before his foul on Nihad (white) that led to the controversial penalty against Việt Nam. Chuẩn had a decent game up until this moment. AFP/VNA Photo

Anh Đức

DOHA -- Việt Nam have lost 0-1 to Iraq in the quarterfinals of the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

The defeat marked the second consecutive time the team could not progress further than the quarters, and also means that Việt Nam cannot qualify for the 2024 Olympics football tournament in Paris.

A penalty from Ali Jasim was enough to grant Iraq the victory, despite the controversial nature of the call.

Coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn brought out his best squad after resting key players in the match against Uzbekistan. Bùi Vĩ Hào was given his first start after outstanding performances in the first two matches.

The first half started slow as both sides wanted to probe their opponent. Iraq, the favourites, were obviously on the front foot, holding on to more than 70 per cent of possession.

The most dangerous moment for Việt Nam came in the 17th minute, when a bad clearance from Khuất Văn Khang found Al Mosawe inside the box, who fired a powerful shot that forced out a save from Quan Văn Chuẩn.

Five minutes later, Hussein Amer rattled Việt Nam's crossbar from a set piece, but he was deemed offside by the referee.

Việt Nam had their fair share of chances late in the first half, but both Nguyễn Văn Trường and Nguyễn Văn Tùng skyrocketed the ball over the bar and the first half ended goalless.

Iraq turned up the pace in the after the break, and created more opportunities near Văn Chuẩn's goal. Ali Al Mosawe's cross in the 52nd minute could have turned into a goal, had it not been for Văn Chuẩn's quick reflexes.

But just ten minutes later, Chuẩn turned from hero to zero as Việt Nam conceded a penalty, after the Korean referee consulted VAR.

Replays showed that Chuẩn's hands slightly tapped on Nihad Mohammed's shoulders, but the contact was not enough for Iraq's No.10 to fall down. However, the referee still insisted on giving Iraq the penalty in a harsh call for Việt Nam.

From the spot, Ali Jasim successfully dispatched his kick, opening the scoring for Iraq.

Việt Nam with nothing to lose pushed forward looking for the goal, but the Iraqi defence was tight and Tuấn's men could not find an opening.

The men in red encountered more problems when Nguyễn Mạnh Hưng was sent off in the first minute of added time, after VAR found the defender went for Jasim's legs near the corner flag.

VAR intervened once more in the thirteen minutes of added time, after referee Ko Hyung-jin pointed to the spot when Ridha Fadhil went down inside Việt Nam's six yard box.

However, Fadhil was offside in the build-up and the penalty was cancelled. But two minutes were not enough for an exhausted Việt Nam to find the equaliser and the match ended 0-1 to Iraq.

"I think that the team played well, but me and my defence did not cooperate well and that led to the penalty," said keeper and captain Quan Văn Chuẩn. 

"I am very sad because a goal would have given us a chance to make the Olympics but we could not find do it."

Coach Tuấn expressed his regret that the match was decided by the penalty, but noted that he was happy of his team's performance.

"I cannot say that the penalty was right or not - that is the referee's story," said Tuấn. 

"The match is over.

"I said earlier on that (if Việt Nam lose), I am happy that Iraq progresses into the semis, and if we progress that would be wonderful. Football is football and after the match, we are friends again.

"I wish that the relationship of both teams and both fans of Iraq and Việt Nam to be better in the future." 

The Việt Nam U23 players will return home and prepare for the next round of the National Cup and the crucial stages of the V-League.

The next time a Việt Nam national team play will be in June with the last two World Cup qualifiers against Philippines and Iraq, as Việt Nam looks for a miracle to qualify to progress.

The identity of the next national team coach will be announced soon, with media speculation leaning towards the appointment of a foreign coach, not a Vietnamese. VNS