Vietnam's men's national football team on Thursday suffered a one-two loss against North Korea during their final Group D match at the Asian Football Conference(AFC) U-23 Championship in Thailand, falling short of punching a ticket to this year's Summer Olympics.

Vietnam, led by South Korean coach Park Hang-seo, was first to score after Nguyen Tien Linh found the net in the 16th minute.

But a howler from goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung in the 27th allowed North Korea the equalizer before they nicked a win through a penalty kick just before the game ended.

The defeat was especially disappointing for Vietnamese football fans who saw their team reach the finals of the same tournament two years ago.

The AFC tournament serves as the continental qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with the top three teams guaranteed spots in the Summer Games.

Meanwhile, after three consecutive victories against China, Iran and Uzbekistan in Group C, South Korea will face Group D runner-up Jordan in a quarterfinal match that will be held Sunday at 7:15 p.m. Korea time.