VFF Congress: Observe, listen, and reflect.

According to the plan, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) was supposed to hold its 8th Congress in April 2018, but "due to procedural reasons" it could not be completed. On November 24th, the 13th meeting of the VFF Executive Committee of the 7th term was held and set the date for the 8th Congress to take place on December 8th.

Timing

The VFF Congress was held three days after the 2018 AFF Cup semi-finals and six days before the final. If all goes as planned, fans and public attention would continue to focus on Coach Park Hang-seo and his team, thus making the VFF Congress much less prominent. This would give Vietnamese football officials more space and time to quietly discuss and elect a new Executive Committee – new faces to steer Vietnamese football for the next four years (2018-2022).

A view of the 7th Congress of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Photo: VFF

During the past term, fans can summarize the outstanding achievements of Vietnamese football as follows: qualifying for the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup, the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup, finishing as runners-up in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup, the Vietnam Football Federation receiving the award for Best Football Federation of the Year in Southeast Asia in 2016, and the award for Best Football Federation of the Year for developing football nations in Asia in 2017. Recently, the national football league (V.League 1) also proudly received the Gold award for the Best Developed League in Asia in 2018, as voted by the AFC and presented by SPIA Asia (Asia's Sports Industry Awards and Conference).

Job openings are urgent.

VFF congresses rarely see much debate about the summary of evaluations or future operational directions in the presented reports; all eyes are focused on personnel matters. Often, numerous "bombshell" announcements, including significant and even "smoke bombs," are released before the opening day, often with highly skillful and dramatic maneuvers aided by the media.

During the seventh term, VFF officials were involved in numerous controversies, from President Le Hung Dung's prolonged hospitalization after his election, preventing him from closely overseeing the organization; to Vice President for Finance Doan Nguyen Duc's resignation after the Vietnam U22 team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2017 SEA Games; and to Vice President for Communications Nguyen Xuan Gu's scandal involving prostitutes in Ho Chi Minh City, forcing him to resign and withdraw from the eighth term.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Le Khanh Hai, is the only candidate running for the position of President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Photo: VFF

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has finalized the list of candidates for key positions, including President (1 person), Vice President in charge of professional matters (3 people), Vice President in charge of finance and fundraising (4 people), and Vice President in charge of communications (5 people). Mr. Le Khanh Hai, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is the only candidate for the VFF President position. In addition to the four positions mentioned above, the 8th VFF term will elect 13 other members to the Executive Committee from 32 candidates. It's not difficult to predict that Mr. Le Khanh Hai will win the VFF President position, while the remaining two vice positions will likely go to Tran Quoc Tuan and Cao Van Chong.

Besides the issue of "professional competence," both Tran Quoc Tuan and Cao Van Chong enjoy support from both above and below. It's not by chance that Tran Quoc Tuan withdrew from the list of candidates for the VFF presidency, and Cao Van Chong quickly left the VFF despite an invitation from Chairman Tu to stay. Even more intense is the competition for the Vice President position in charge of finance and fundraising among Tran Van Liem, Nguyen Hoai Nam, Can Van Nghia, and Le Van Thanh. Former Director of the My Dinh National Sports Complex, Can Van Nghia, is currently facing considerable scrutiny.

Under Mr. Can Van Nghia's leadership, the My Dinh Sports Complex frequently sparked controversy due to its leasing of space for pubs, beer gardens, massage parlors, etc., which marred the urban landscape and led to numerous warnings from local authorities. Recent investigations also reveal unresolved issues regarding the financial operations of the My Dinh Sports Complex.

Le Van Thanh, the owner of Dong Luc football company, is a strong candidate, but the VFF has witnessed quite a few figures frequently mentioned in the press making spectacular last-minute surges. Although not participating, Park Hang-seo remains a decisive factor in the VFF's success at this congress.

List of candidates for key positions:

- Chairman: Le Khanh Hai (Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

- Vice Presidents in charge of professional matters: Tran Quoc Tuan, Duong Vu Lam, Pham Ngoc Vien.

- Vice Presidents in charge of communications: Cao Van Chong, Luong Hoang Hung, Nguyen Van Phu, Nguyen Lan Trung, Phan Anh Tu.

- Vice Presidents in charge of finance and fundraising: Tran Van Liem, Nguyen Hoai Nam, Can Van Nghia, Le Van Thanh.