Vietnam team awarded 2 billion VND before Asian tournament; Ronaldo will soon have a top partner in attack
A businessman has just awarded 2 billion VND to the Vietnam national team; Coach Park Hang-seo sent New Year wishes to Vietnamese football; Ronaldo is about to have a classy partner on the attack line... are notable sports news in the past 24 hours.
Vietnam team awarded 2 billion VND before Asian tournament
In the program "Ho Chi Minh City Spring" organized by Ho Chi Minh City Television, businessman Johnathan Hanh Nguyen decided to award 2 billion VND to the Vietnam Football Federation and the national team.
This meaningful action aims to honor the Vietnam team's victory in the 2024 ASEAN Cup, while spreading national pride. This victory is not only a joy for the team but also affirms the increasingly solid position of Vietnamese football in the regional arena.
In 2025, the Vietnamese team will only participate in one official tournament, the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. In addition to friendly matches, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will play 5 official matches, a modest number compared to 15 matches in 2024.
In this qualifying round, Vietnam is in the same group as Nepal, Malaysia and Laos. According to the format, only the group winner will advance. Malaysia is a direct competitor, with a strong squad thanks to quality naturalized players. This year, Vietnam will only face Malaysia once, with the rematch taking place in 2026.
Therefore, it is not surprising that this year's Vietnam team has many U22 and U23 players to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games. Unlike the national team, the Vietnam U22 team will compete in two important tournaments: the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December and the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers in September. In addition, the AFF plans to organize the Southeast Asian U23 tournament in August.
Coach Park Hang-seo sends New Year wishes to Vietnamese football
On the occasion of Lunar New Year 2025, former head coach of Vietnam national team Park Hang-seo sent New Year greetings to players, football officials and fans via his personal Facebook account.
Mr. Park wrote: "As the new year begins, I would like to send my best wishes to Vietnamese players and football officials. Wishing everyone a successful, happy and healthy new year."
He also encouraged his former students: "I am proud of your efforts and dedication. Continue to strive for success in this new year."
Coach Park's post quickly received thousands of comments expressing gratitude: "Coach Park will always be a legend of Vietnamese football!"; "Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous new year!"
After leaving the position of head coach of the Vietnam national team, Mr. Park is currently an advisor for Bac Ninh Club in the Second Division and at the same time opened a football academy named after himself in Hanoi. He still closely follows the Vietnam national team and plays the role of special advisor to Coach Kim Sang Sik in the journey to win the ASEAN Cup 2024.
During the 2017-2022 period, Mr. Park left a deep impression on Vietnamese football, from the miracle of Changzhou at the 2018 U23 Asia, the 2018 AFF Cup championship, to two gold medals at the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games.
Indonesian player impresses in Bundesliga
Kevin Diks became the first Indonesian player to play in the Bundesliga after signing a contract with Borussia Monchengladbach until June 2030. Notably, he has more followers on Instagram (1.4 million) than his home club (1 million).
"Kevin Diks has a larger fan base than Gladbach," commented the Bundesliga homepage. This event makes Indonesian football proud when Diks joins one of Germany's top teams.
Before joining Monchengladbach, Diks played for Copenhagen (Denmark), winning two consecutive national championships (2021/22, 2022/23) and a national cup (2022/23). He officially became an Indonesian citizen in November 2024 and made his debut for the national team in a match against Japan in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
With a transfer value of more than 4.5 million euros, Diks is one of the most notable Southeast Asian players in Europe. President of the Indonesian Football Federation, Erick Thohir, hopes that his presence will help strengthen the team's defense.
Man City come from behind to reach Champions League play-off round
Man City defeated Club Brugge 3-1 in the final match, thereby winning a ticket to the Champions League play-off round.
Manager Pep Guardiola made two changes to his team, with John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne returning. Despite controlling the game, Man City surprisingly conceded a goal late in the first half. Onyedika took advantage of a beautiful combination to score for Brugge.
In the second half, Man City rose strongly. In the 53rd minute, Kovacic scored a dangerous long-range shot to equalize. In the 62nd minute, Gvardiol crossed the ball and Ordonez scored an own goal. In the 77th minute, Savinho sealed the 3-1 victory with a delicate finish.
Despite qualifying, Man City had to play a play-off because they finished 22nd in the qualifying round. Meanwhile, despite losing, Club Brugge still maintained their place in the top 24.
Ronaldo is about to have a world-class partner in attack
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr have agreed a deal to sign striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen for €60 million.
Boniface, 24, scored 29 goals in 49 games for Leverkusen and attracted interest from several European clubs. However, Al Nassr were quick to take possession of the Nigerian striker. "The deal is done, Boniface passed the medical with Al Nassr," expert Florian Plettenberg confirmed.
With the arrival of Boniface, Al Nassr will have a formidable attack consisting of Mane - Ronaldo - Boniface, helping them compete in the Saudi Pro League. Al Nassr is currently ranked 4th with 35 points, 8 points behind the leading team Al Hilal.