Culture - Sports

Vietnam opens ASEAN Championship with 7-0 rout of Timor-Leste

Seven goals were scored in the match by Vietnam, with a hat trick by Nguyen Dinh Bac, a brace by Do Hoang Hen and two goals from Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Quang Hai.

Vietnam's players salute the national flag and sing the national anthem before their Group A match against Timor-Leste at the 2026 ASEAN Cup. (Photo: VNA)
Vietnam's players salute the national flag and sing the national anthem before their Group A match against Timor-Leste at the 2026 ASEAN Cup. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam opened its 2026 ASEAN Cup campaign with a commanding 7-0 victory over Timor-Leste in Group A on July 24.

Seven goals were scored in the match by Vietnam, with a hat trick by Nguyen Dinh Bac, a brace by Do Hoang Hen and two goals from Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Quang Hai.

Naturalised striker Do Hoang Hen scored Vietnam's fastest goal ever in an ASEAN Championship at seven minutes, which broke a 11-year record set by Huynh Hong Son in 2002, when Son scored the opener against Cambodia at the 11th minute.

Dinh Bac, after dribbling past defenders, fired a shot towards goal that rebounded to Hoang Hen, who calmly controlled the ball before putting it in the back of the net.

Bac got his deserved goal later on in the 31st minute, again with a dribbling attempt and a precise shot into the bottom corner.

Hoang Hen completed his brace just ten minutes later, dancing past the Timor-Leste defence and made it 3-0 for Kim Sang-sik's men, marking the Golden Star Warriors' 500th goal in history.

Dinh Bac netted his brace in the 43rd minute, finishing a cross by Quang Hai with finesse. Xuan Son, who bagged seven goals last tournament, found his first goal just before the break, giving Vietnam its largest half-time lead ever in the ASEAN Championship.

Vietnam was still in control during the second half, and Dinh Bac completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute. After Xuan Son failed to catch the ball with his bicycle kick, Bac rushed in quickly to tap in the empty net, becoming Vietnam's third ever player to score an ASEAN Championship hat-trick.

The Dinh Bac show continued in the 79th minute, as the young striker provided an assist to captain Nguyen Quang Hai, sealing the 7-0 victory, two goals shy of the team's ASEAN Championship biggest win record.

Kim Sang-sik is currently on a 19-match unbeaten streak in matches against ASEAN teams. Vietnam will face Singapore in their next group match at home in My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi./.

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