HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to hosts Indonesia in their final Group A match at the ASEAN U19 Boys’ Championship 2026 on Sunday, surrendering top spot and missing out on an automatic place in the semi-finals.

Indonesia started on the front foot, putting Việt Nam under sustained pressure early on, before breaking the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Reno Salampessy capitalised on a defensive error to give the hosts the lead.

Việt Nam gradually grew into the game and created several promising opportunities before half-time but efforts from the players failed to find the back of the net, leaving Indonesia ahead 1-0 at the break.

After the restart, Việt Nam showed greater urgency and attacking intent. Their persistence paid off in the 73rd minute when Quốc Khánh rose to head home from a corner delivered by Duy Khang, restoring parity.

With momentum on their side, Việt Nam looked capable of holding on for a result that would secure qualification. However, the match took a decisive turn in stoppage time when Indonesia were awarded a penalty.

Evandra Florasta stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, beating goalkeeper Xuân Tín to seal a 2-1 victory for the hosts.

The defeat leaves Việt Nam reliant on results from other groups to determine whether they can still advance to the semi-finals. — VNS