The Vietnamese futsal team (in white) easily crushed China in the qualifiers for the AFC Futsal Cup 2026 on Monday evening. — Photo znews.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam stormed to a 7-2 victory over hosts China in the second match of Group E in the AFC Futsal Cup 2026 qualifiers on Monday evening, keeping their perfect record and staying top with six points.

Before the match, many predicted the Vietnamese side would face considerable challenges, particularly after China’s narrow 1-2 loss to Lebanon, a team that had previously drawn with Việt Nam in the 2021 Futsal World Cup playoffs.

Việt Nam, however, began with confidence and seized control almost immediately. Just 37 seconds in, Đoàn Phát opened the scoring, followed by Ngọc Ánh, who struck twice in the third and fourth minutes. Đa Hải made it 4-0 in the 10th minute before Thịnh Phát rounded off a dominant first half with a fifth in the 15th minute.

In the second half, Thịnh Phát added two more to complete his hat-trick, extending the lead to 7-0. China salvaged some pride with late goals in the 36th and 38th minutes, but the scoreline finished 7-2 in Việt Nam’s favour.

The result leaves Việt Nam top of Group E with a commanding goal difference, giving them a major advantage ahead of the decisive clash with Lebanon on September 24. The West Asian side have four points and must win to claim first place, while Việt Nam only need a draw to secure direct qualification for the finals of the AFC Futsal Cup 2026.

Despite Việt Nam’s edge, the encounter with Lebanon is expected to be highly tense. The opponents are renowned for their physical strength, tactical discipline and experience, having posed stern challenges to Việt Nam in previous continental tournaments. — VNS