Ninh Binh thrashes The Cong Viettel 4-1: A display of strength from Hoang Duc.

The 2025/26 National Cup semi-final at Ninh Binh Arena concluded with an unbelievable scenario as the team from the ancient capital of Ninh Binh secured a dominant 4-1 victory over V-League runner-up The Cong Viettel. In the spotlight, Nguyen Hoang Duc left a strong impression with a superb goal, affirming his status as one of the most talented midfielders in Vietnam today.

The pragmatism of Ninh Binh and the Fred Friday imprint

Despite facing a mobile midfield from The Cong Viettel, Ninh Binh confidently deployed a coherent style of play from the start. The visitors created early threats in the 9th minute with a shot from Khuat Van Khang and another two minutes later from Lucao, but the excellent performance of Dang Van Lam kept a clean sheet for the home team.

Under pressure, Ninh Binh launched a sharp counter-attack in the 15th minute. Taking advantage of an opponent's mistake in losing possession, the foreign player...Fred FridayMake a burst of speed before setting up the perfect assist.Pham Gia HungA neat finish opened the scoring. The early goal helped the players in blue play more freely and cohesively.

A moment of Hoàng Đức and the composure of Đặng Văn Lâm.

The biggest turning point of the first half came in the 43rd minute. From a delicate through pass by Fred Friday,Nguyen Hoang DucHe broke free and coolly finished past goalkeeper Van Viet, doubling the lead. Notably, the star wearing the number 28 jersey chose not to celebrate in order to show the utmost respect for his former team, The Cong Viettel.

In the second half, The Cong Viettel launched a full-scale attack but encountered a "steel wall" in the form of Dang Van Lam. In the 71st minute, the Vietnamese-Russian goalkeeper astonished everyone with three consecutive close-range saves. Then, in the 79th minute, he denied Lucao's attempt, further diminishing the hopes of the military team.

A misstep and a swift finish.

The drama reached its climax in the 85th minute when young player Le Phat fouled Tuan Tai inside the penalty area. From the penalty spot,LucaoViettel narrowed the score to 1-2 for The Cong. However, the visitors' hopes of a comeback lasted only two minutes.

87th minute,Tran Bao ToanThey extinguished all of the opponent's hopes with a goal that restored their two-goal lead. Then, in the 90th minute,Fred FridayHe capped off his perfect performance with a rebound goal to seal a 4-1 victory, rendering the V-League runner-up's efforts hopeless.

This convincing victory propelled Ninh Binh into the final of the 2025/26 National Cup. Hoang Duc and his teammates' final opponent on their journey to conquer the title will be Ho Chi Minh City Police, the team that just defeated Nam Dinh 4-2 in the semi-final match played at the same time.

Thanh Vinh