HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s U19 team lost to Jordan 2-1 in the opening game of Group C at the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U19 Championship finals in Indonesia on Friday.

Nhâm Mạnh Dũng scored the opener for Vietnamese side in the 21st minute but Jordan levelled the score in the first half thanks to Mohamed Atieh. 

After the break, Mohammad Alzubi got his name on the scoresheet with a goal in the 89th minute to seal the win for Jordan.

Việt Nam’s head coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn was disappointed at the last minute loss, but said his team could still make quarter-finals.

“Our team’s strength is not good. We didn’t have enough in the final minutes,” Tuấn said at a press conference after the game.

“In my opinion, the chance for the two teams is 50-50. We played well but it was a pity that we got loss in the last minute,” said Tuấn.

“I told my players that the first match would be very difficult in terms of psychology. However, they tried their best. We will focus on the next game with the hope of reaching the next round,” Tuấn added.

Việt Nam will next face Australia on October 22 and South Korea on October 25.

South Korea are 12-time champions, while Australia have been to the FIFA U20 World Cup 15 times and reached the AFC U19 Championship final in 2010.

“Truly, it is very difficult for us. The chance is very small but it doesn’t mean anything. We will work hard,” said Tuấn.

Meanwhile, coach Ahmed Abu Ismail of Jordan said: “We are used to conceding an early goal. But we often come from behind. We had belief and we succeeded.”

“Việt Nam has advanced in recent years, so Jordan need to watch out. We wish them all the luck in the next games,” said Ismail.

The AFC U19 Championship’s top four teams will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup scheduled to take place in Poland next year. In 2016, under the instruction of coach Tuấn, Việt Nam entered the semi-final of the AFC U19 Championship and won a ticket to the FIFA U20 World Cup. — VNS