Who is SLNA's number 1 fan?

As for me, the number 1 fan of Vietnamese football and especially of SLNA, is none other than Mr. Nguyen Cong Chat in Hung Binh Ward, Vinh City.

He said that the first match he went to watch was an international football match at Beijing Workers Stadium (China) between Bat Nhat and The Cong on August 1, 1961. That match, The Cong narrowly won against the home team with a score of 1-0, which ignited his almost endless love for football later on.

SLNA fans are considered the 12th player. Photo: Archive

I confided in him that he was certainly one of the very few Vietnamese fans who got to watch the first international football match abroad of Vietnamese football!

Later, living and working in Vinh, his love for football was devoted entirely to the SLNA team, from youth teams to the first team, from playing in Vinh to any stadium he could watch, from winning matches to losing matches, from tournament matches to friendly matches, from official matches to training matches...

He said: I went all the way to Cao Lanh Stadium (Dong Thap) to watch SLNA play in a “life-or-death” match to earn points to stay in the league. As for familiar stadiums, it was “as simple as weaving a basket”, gathering a group of fans, pooling money to buy train and bus tickets, and then it was time to go!

I laughed and said that he had also been to Long An stadium to watch SLNA play when Long An team was still coach Calistor, but he was on a business trip and had stopped by to watch, meaning he still had to go.

Recently, I heard that the SLNA Fan Club has many new features in its activities and although he is as old as Mr. Chat, he is still a very "flying dragon, dancing phoenix" person. The group of wives and children go out with great fanfare, drums and gongs, and their costumes and hats are very eye-catching and inviting!

That's true admiration, and "things number 1 and number 2... leave them there", Mr. Chat said to me with a chuckle!