Jakarta. Vietnam secured their third consecutive AFF U-23 Championship title with a narrow 1-0 victory over host nation Indonesia in the final held Tuesday evening at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

The match’s only goal came in the 36th minute from forward Nguyen Cong Phuong, who capitalized on a defensive lapse in Indonesia’s backline to slot the ball past goalkeeper M. Ardiansyah.

In a rematch of the 2023 final, the Indonesian U-23 team -- boosted by naturalized striker Jens Raven -- struggled to avenge their previous defeat despite playing in front of a home crowd. Indonesia created several scoring opportunities, notably through Raven and Reyhan Hanan, but Vietnamese goalkeeper Trung Kien Tran delivered an outstanding performance to keep a clean sheet.

Vietnam, on the other hand, showed greater efficiency. A chaotic moment in the Indonesian defense allowed Cong Phuong to find space and score what would prove to be the championship-winning goal.

The second half saw Vietnam adopt a more defensive approach, resulting in a scrappier, more physical contest. Tensions ran high, with several players involved in on-field altercations.

Since its inception in 2005, the AFF U-23 Championship has only been held five times due to prolonged gaps between editions. Vietnam has now won the tournament three times in a row -- in 2022, 2023, and 2025. The 2022 edition was a delayed tournament originally scheduled for 2021 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesia lifted the trophy once, in 2019, while Thailand won the inaugural tournament in 2005.

Lineups:

Indonesia:
M. Ardiansyah (GK); Kakang Rudianto, Kadek Arel, M. Ferarri, Frengky Missa; Robi Darwis, Dominikus Dion, Doni Pamungkas; Reyhan Hanan, Rahmat Arjuna, Jens Raven.
Substitutes: Cahya, Daffa, Fasya, Scheunemann, Achmad M, Alfharezzi, Toni Firmansyah, Arkhan, Althaf, Yardan, Juliansyah, Victor Dethan, Hokky Caraka.

Vietnam:
Trung Kien Tran (GK); Van Kang Khuat, Ly Duc Pham, Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Dinh Truong, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Anh Quan Vo.
Substitutes: Van Ha Le, Nguyen Duc Anh, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Quoc Viet, Nguyen Than Dat, Nguyen Tan, Viktor Le, Tuan Phong Dang, Nguyen Ngoc My, Minh Phuc Pham, Van Thuan Le, Van Binh Cao.

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