HANOI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Friday decided to award the Labor Order, first class, to the national U-23 soccer squad for their successful journey at the ongoing AFC U-23 Championship in China.
He also decided to present third-class Labor Order to head coach Park Hang-seo from South Korea, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung for their excellent performance during the tournament, Vietnam News Agency reported.
Earlier, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had promised to honor the squad members with certificates of merit in recognition for their hard work and success.
Vietnam will face Uzbekistan in the final of the tournament in the Chinese city of Changzhou on Saturday afternoon.
Under Park, Vietnam ranked second in Group D with four points. They defeated Iraq in the quarterfinals and Qatar in the semifinals, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to enter the final 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 quarterfinal and semifinal games leading to Vietnam's victories. Enditem
