National U23 team get first-class Labour Order

He also decided to present third-class Labour Order to head coach Park Hang-seo from the Republic of Korea, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung for their excellent performance during the tournament.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had promised to honour the squad members with certificates of merit in recognition for their hard work and success.

The Vietnamese U23 team will face Uzbekistan’s in the final in Changzhou Sports Centre at 15:00 pm on January 27.

Under Park, Vietnam ranked second in Group D with four points. They defeated Iraq in the quarter-finals and Qatar in the semi-finals, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to enter the final round of the championship.

Hai scored four goals out of seven for Vietnam, including the only one in Vietnam’s 1-0 win over Australia in the group stage, which played a decisive role in pushing the team to the second position.

Dung, meanwhile, was a hero at the goalmouth of Vietnam. He saved four penalties in five matches, in which three were from a penalty shootouts in the quarter-final and semi-final games leading to Vietnam’s victories.