2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier: Vietnam lose 0-1 to Iraq in injury time

Vietnamese player Van Thanh (in red) in the match. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam lost 0-1 to Iraq at the dying minutes in a Group F match of the second qualification round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium on November 21 evening.

The Iraqi team dominated the match right from the start of the match and kept Vietnamese defenders on alert almost all the time. In the first half, no less than three times Vietnam goalkeeper Van Lam faced high-risk finishing situations as his opponents were in convenient positions to score.

The excellence of goalkeeper Van Lam and the concentration of the defenders helped Vietnam maintain a draw throughout the 90 minutes of official time.

Vietnamese players created difficulties for Iraq during the match. However, a goal for Iraq was scored by Mohanad Ali at 90+6 when the match was only seconds from the final whistle.

Vietnamese defender Thanh Binh (No. 6) in the match. (Photo: VNA)

Before the match, the head coach of Vietnam's national football team Philippe Troussier, experts and fans expected a draw with the strongest team in Group F.

Despite the defeat, Vietnam is still temporarily ranked 2nd in the group with three points.

In the group, Vietnam will have two matches against Indonesia on March 21 and 26, 2023, one against the Philippines on June 6, 2024, and another against Iraq on June 11, 2024./.