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Lee vows Korea Republic improvement after shootout defeat
Jeddah: Korea Republic head coach Lee Min-sung accepted responsibility for his side’s penalty shootout defeat to Vietnam, admitting his players still have work to do after settling for fourth place at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ on Friday.
The 2020 champions were edged 7-6 on penalties following a pulsating contest that ended 2-2 after extra time, with goalkeeper Cao Van Binh saving the decisive spot-kick to seal Vietnam third place.

#AFCU23 | 3rd Place Playoff: Vietnam 2 (7)-(6) 2 Korea Republic

#AFCU23 | 3rd Place Playoff: Vietnam 2 (7)-(6) 2 Korea Republic

“I would like to congratulate Vietnam on their victory,” said Lee. “I take responsibility for this defeat and I will do my best to improve the team.

“What disappointed me most was our performance in extra time. Had we played with greater focus, the outcome could have been different. We also should have done better in the group stage.”
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Despite the setback, Lee stressed that the squad is a work in progress.

“I don’t feel this team is fully ready yet, but we will continue to improve, we are not at 100 percent.

“Defensively, we conceded too easily against Afghanistan, Lebanon and again today. On the positive side, it was encouraging to see us score, but we need to be sharper and more effective in the final third.”