PHNOM PENH, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam won the 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship for the first time after defeating Thailand 1-0 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Saturday night.
Tran Bao Toan's header at the end of the first half came out the lone goal for Vietnam.
"I am very pleased with how they played tonight as they showed a lot of courage. And the substitute players who came in did very well," said Vietnam head coach Dinh The Nam.
"They did what I expected of them and I can't ask for more. I told the players that while we need to be attack-minded, we also have to control the midfield," he added.
Thailand head coach Salvador Garcia said the players gave everything they had in the final, so there was no regret.
"Like what I said previously, this team is here to grow," he said. "The team gets to play some games against elder players and this is a great chance for them to continue to develop as a team."
Timor-Leste and Laos shared the third spot in the competition. ■
