Realizing football dreams through the Nghe An Newspaper Cup.

Dau Duy Quoc Viet – the “soul” of the Hoang Mai youth football team.

Meeting Quoc Viet after the Hoang Mai Town Children's team won the championship, off the field, he was quite quiet, reserved, and somewhat shy. However, on the field, during matches, Quoc Viet transformed into a completely different person: energetic, agile, dedicated, and with great stamina.

Born into a farming family in Quynh Lien, Quoc Viet's love of sports was nurtured by his father, a village football player; his mother, a volleyball player; and his older brother, who is also passionate about football. Before participating in this tournament, Quoc Viet was a member of the Hoang Mai town football team that won first prize at the Phu Dong Sports Festival at the provincial level; and participated in many amateur football tournaments organized by the local authorities. Selected to join the Hoang Mai town children's team for this tournament, Quoc Viet is very confident and capable.

In the matches, Quoc Viet scored 4 "opening goals" that helped his team reach the pinnacle of glory. Not only that, Quoc Viet is also a player with beautiful passes and precise dribbling, creating scoring opportunities for other players on his team. In necessary situations, this striker drops back to act as a defender, covering for his teammates, forming a solid "wall" for his team.

Coach Ho Huu Tien highly praised his student: “Quoc Viet can play in almost all positions. He is considered the ‘soul’ of the Hoang Mai youth team, with his ability to seamlessly transition between attack and defense; inspiring his teammates with precise assists and a tenacious playing style.”

With the title of "Best Player" of this season, Quoc Viet considers it a gift to his father, Dau Duy Hung, who daily drove him to the town center for training; who accompanied him and took care of his meals and sleep throughout the season. And especially, in the recent final match, his entire family and relatives hired a 16-seater van to travel a long distance in the hot sun to cheer him on.

“Receiving this award, I am deeply moved and grateful. I would like to dedicate this joy to my parents who have worked so hard for me; it is a gift I want to send to my coach, Mr. Ho Huu Tien, who has guided and mentored me; and it is an expression of gratitude to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins ​​who have encouraged and supported me.”

Reportedly, Quoc Viet has also caught the eye of scouts from Song Lam Nghe An Football Club. Winning the Player of the Season award will be a stepping stone, paving the way for his dream of playing professional football in the future…

Bui Nhat Duy - The outstanding "guardian" of Quy Hop Children's team.

On their journey to finishing as runners-up this season, Quy Hop Children's team conceded only 7 goals in 7 matches. This was largely thanks to the outstanding performance of their number one goalkeeper, Bui Nhat Duy.

Born into a family with a small business in Dong Hop commune, despite their busy schedules, Duy's parents still made every effort to allow him to participate in the amateur training program of Song Lam Nghe An Football Club held in Quy Hop district. He also participated in the Quy Hop Children's Team's Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament. Because his home was far away, Duy's parents took turns driving him to and from training. Sometimes, when his parents were too busy, Duy would hitch a ride with others to ensure he didn't miss any training sessions.

During training, Duy was very serious and disciplined. Coach Phan Hieu Nghia of the Quy Hop Children's team said: “Nhat Duy's strengths are his good physical fitness, agility, flexibility, and accurate judgment and ball-catching ability. Therefore, the coaching staff chose him for the goalkeeper position. What he has shown in the recent matches has been outstanding.”

In many matches, goalkeeper Nhat Duy has been outstanding, successfully blocking numerous dangerous shots from opposing players threatening the goal. In many situations, due to their eagerness to attack and their pursuit of victory, the Quy Hop defenders pushed forward, creating vast open spaces in front of the goal, giving opponents opportunities to counter-attack. However, with his "steel shield," Nhat Duy successfully thwarted these dangerous shots.

As the tournament progressed, Bui Nhat Duy's goalkeeper prowess became increasingly evident. The semi-final and final matches were intensely competitive, with numerous dangerous shots from the opposing team on the Quy Hop Children's goal. However, thanks to the outstanding performance of "golden glove" Bui Nhat Duy, Quy Hop Children's team advanced straight to the final.

In the championship match, goalkeeper Nhật Duy brilliantly saved the opponent's shots, repeatedly rescuing his team to maintain a draw. Unfortunately, in the tense penalty shootout, Quỳ Hợp Children's team suffered a heartbreaking defeat.