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Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong opened the score in the first half for Vietnam. Photo: thanhnien.vn

Earlier, during the official 90 minutes and then for the overtime periods, Vietnam drew 3-3 with the previous championship’s bronze medalists.

Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong opened the score in the first half for Vietnam. Iraq tied with a penalty by striker Ayman Hussein some minutes later.

The second half saw many efforts from both sides but no goals were scored, leading the match to the extra time, which saw two goals from each side.

At the shootout, Vietnamese goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung denied a kick from Iraqi side while all five Vietnamese players succeeded with their shots.

The remarkable game sent Vietnam into the semifinals for the first time ever, and now they will take on Qatar in the semi-final match in Changzhou on January 23. The Republic of Korea will play Uzbekistan on the same day.

The Vietnam Head Coach Park Hang-seo said after the win, "I want to present this win to all football fans in Vietnam, and I want to thank the Vietnam Football Federation and everyone who has supported football in Vietnam. Before the match, I told the players that our mission was not easy, but we had the team spirit and the determination of the players who will never stop until the final whistle."

Translated by Song Anh