Kuwait took an early lead in the match, applying intense pressing and capitalising on mistakes in Viet Nam’s defence. In the 7th minute, Alenezi seized an opportunity after a turnover in midfield to open the scoring for Kuwait, before Borashed unleashed a powerful strike to make it 2-0 in the 9th minute, putting the Viet Nam futsal team under heavy pressure.
Undeterred, the players in red gradually regained control of the match. Also in the 9th minute, Chau Doan Phat capitalised on an opponent’s mistake, poking the ball home with the tip of his boot to pull the score back to 1–2 and reignite hope for Viet Nam. From then on, the tempo increased as the Viet Nam futsal team launched a series of attacking moves. Their efforts were rewarded in the 15th minute when Thinh Phat showed great composure on the left flank and finished clinically to level the score at 2–2.
However, just as momentum swung in Viet Nam’s favour, they were caught out by a quick Kuwaiti counterattack, with Alshatti restoring the lead at 3–2 in the 19th minute.
With just one second remaining in the first half, captainNguyen Manh Dung finished clinically to level the score at 3-3.
In the second half, Tu Minh Quang put Viet Nam ahead 4-3 in the 30th minute. Two minutes later, Nguyen Manh Dung struck again to extend the lead to 5-3. Kuwait managed to narrow the gap to 4-5 in the 38th minute, but Viet Nam held firm until the final whistle.
The 5-4 victory not only earned Viet Nam a crucial three points, but also provided a major psychological boost as they continue their Group B campaign, which also features strong contenders Thailand and Lebanon.
