Vietnam continued their historic run at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship, one of Asia’s top football competitions, by booking a place in the quarterfinals after finishing Wednesday’s match against Syria in a goalless draw.

The Golden Stars added another chapter to their miracle championship run in China, after wowing fans at home and around the world with their stunning 1-0 victory over Australia in their second group stage game on Sunday.

Vietnam advanced to the knockout phase as the Group D runners-up with four points, second to South Korea’s seven.

Entering the match as the underdogs, Vietnam focused on a defensive strategy against Syria. 

The Vietnamese only had two chances to score during the 90 minutes, but star striker Cong Phuong was unable to convert.

On the contrary, the Syrians launched repeated attacks against Vietnamese goalie Tien Dung but their efforts were in vain.

Vietnam coach Park Hang-seo said his men wanted to notch a victory but exhaustion caused “our performance to drop a little.”

"I want to thank my players. They played as a team today with an excellent spirit,” he said.

Vietnam's coach Park Hang-seo reacts after their 0-0 draw against Syria at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship in China on January 17, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Group leaders South Korea beat the Olyroos 3-2 in the other Group D game on Wednesday.

Vietnam will face Iraq in the semifinal match this Saturday.

They became the first-ever Southeast Asian team to secure a victory at the Asian U-23 Championship after beating Australia on January 14.

Malaysia defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Group C two days later. The Malaysians have also made it to the quarterfinals where they will take on South Korea on Saturday.

The AFC Under-23 Championship, held from January 9 to 27, is a biennial competition featuring 16 of Asia’s top teams in the age group.

Japan beat South Korea to win the championship at the 2016 edition in Qatar.