“We are deeply disappointed, not just me personally but also my teammates and the coaching staff. Everyone worked extremely hard. I saw the effort and dedication the entire team put in,” Quoc Khanh said after Vietnam U20’s 3-1 defeat to Iran U20 in their final Group C match.

After the team failed to achieve its target, Quoc Khanh apologized to supporters and future generations of Vietnam U20 players.

“On behalf of the entire Vietnam U20 team, I apologize to the fans who have loved us, supported us and always stood by us. I also want to apologize to future generations of Vietnam U20 players because we were unable to complete our mission,” he said.

“This defeat will serve as a stepping stone for us to learn from our mistakes and become better players in the future,” Quoc Khanh added.

The 3-1 defeat to Iran U20 in their final Group C match left Vietnam U20 without a win in the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers. The team missed out on the finals and were relegated.

Head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi also apologized to supporters after the team failed to achieve its target.

“We considered different options to achieve the best possible result, but unfortunately we could not accomplish our goal. I deeply regret that and would like to apologize to the fans,” Ikeuchi said.

Dai Nam