Doan Van Hau encourages Dinh Bac after the loss to China U23, Vietnamese stars express regret.

Following the defeat of the Vietnam U23 team at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac made a noteworthy move by posting an apology to fans on his personal page.

Sharing a brief but heartfelt message: "First of all, I want to apologize to everyone!", the post by the player born in 2004 quickly received great attention from the online community, especially from footballers and celebrities.

Among the first to offer encouragement to Dinh Bac was defender Doan Van Hau. The player, who had worn the national team jersey for many years, left a concise but meaningful comment: "There are many good things ahead. Keep going." This message was seen as a sharing of experiences from an older player, boosting the morale of his younger teammate after a tournament filled with pressure and expectations.

Not only Van Hau, but center-back Que Ngoc Hai also sent an emotional message to the young players: "You will always return to the embrace and love of Vietnamese football fans, because of what you have contributed throughout this journey. Now is the time to be more steadfast, stronger to fight in the final match."

Que Ngoc Hai's words of encouragement are seen as much-needed moral support, especially with the U23 Vietnam team still having the third-place match ahead, and also demonstrate the bond between generations of players.

Under Dinh Bac's post, many famous artists also left comforting and encouraging comments. Notably, actor Tien Luat shared a short but warm message: "Hugs! It's okay, my dear. Keep going!" This comment quickly received many likes and agreement from netizens. MC Hoang Rapper also sent a message: "It's just because you're in pain, Bac. We've all worked so hard. Keep trying!" Actress Ha Hien expressed her sympathy: "I feel for you. Stand up, my dear... you have a long future ahead." These words of encouragement are seen as a "spiritual medicine" to help the young players relieve pressure after the defeat.

Besides Dinh Bac's story, actress Le Phuong's reaction to the 2026 U23 Asian Championship semi-final also attracted attention. On the evening of January 20th, she posted a moment of herself and her husband watching the match between Vietnam U23 and China U23. Wearing a striking red shirt, the actress showed her enthusiastic support for the young players. Before the match started, Le Phuong excitedly shared a picture with a witty caption: "What did you say? Vietnam will be champions!", showing her optimism and belief in the team.

Despite the 0-3 defeat, Le Phuong offered words of encouragement. She shared that even with a man down, the U23 Vietnam players fought with all their might and courage, and she appreciated their fighting spirit until the very last minute. Earlier, when her team was two goals down, the actress maintained her optimism with her familiar saying: "As long as we're breathing, we can still fight back."

Le Phuong's post quickly garnered attention and praise from the online community. Many commented that her civilized behavior and positive sportsmanship were commendable, because sometimes, recognizing effort and fighting spirit is more important than winning or losing.

Doan Van Hau unexpectedly commented on the skill level of his younger teammates in the Vietnam U23 team before the match against China. Bảo Nam14:26:49 19/01/2026Ahead of the semi-final match, the belief in the U23 Vietnam team was also clearly expressed by the senior players in the national team. Defender Doan Van Hau recently shared his frank and confident thoughts about the level of the young Vietnamese team.