HANOI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed here on Sunday U23 Vietnam, the runner-up of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship, praising their excellent performance and achievements at the continental tournament.

The prime minister highlighted the special role head coach Park Hang-seo from South Korea in leading and inspiring confidence in the team and promoting their potential, Vietnam News Agency reported.

He stressed the significance of football, asking the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Football Federation, other ministries and localities to review and withdraw lessons from the tournament to give due attention to promoting football movements, training young footballers and developing professional football.

At the meeting, Phuc presented the first-class Labor Order to the national U23 squad, and the third-class Labor Order to Park Hang-seo, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung for their excellent achievements at the championship.

Vietnam became the runner-up at the AFC U23 Championship after losing 1-2 to Uzbekistan in the final in Changzhou, China on Saturday.