VFF Inspector concludes: Cong Phuong is exactly 19 years old!

'Based on legal documents provided by local authorities, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) inspection team has an official opinion that player Nguyen Cong Phuong is indeed 19 years old,' said Mr. Nguyen Nam Hung, head of the VFF Inspection Board and head of the VFF inspection team.

Speaking to us over the phone, Mr. Nam Hung said: “On the morning of November 12, we had meetings with Mr. Dang Van Tu, chairman of My Son commune, Do Luong district (Nghe An) and Mr. Dang Cong Giang, civil status officer of the commune.

Mr. Tu confirmed to the inspection team that there was no intentional falsification of Cong Phuong's records. We were provided with the household registration of Cong Phuong's family in 2009 by the commune chairman and judicial officers. At that time, not only Phuong's family but also the entire commune had to re-declare their household registration so that the commune could clearly understand the labor force and population of the entire commune.

In this household registration form declared in 2009, because he did not remember that he had re-declared in 1995 the year of birth of his children, including Cong Phuong, Mr. Nguyen Cong Bay declared once again that Phuong was born in 1995. At that time, comparing with the 2005 version, the person who made the record signed at the bottom: "Re-declared birth in 1995".

Head of the inspection team Nguyen Nam Hung continued: “The key to the problem is that the inspection team also held in hand the original documents of Cong Phuong, which is the original birth certificate, quite crumpled and old. In it, Phuong's year of birth is clearly stated as 1995. We held the birth certificate in hand, examined it carefully and even had it notarized on the spot.

The original birth certificate clearly states Phuong's year of birth is 1995 - Photo: Bao Nghi

To be more careful, the inspection team also examined Cong Phuong's 2006 primary school graduation certificate (the certificate that Phuong had before going to Hoang Anh Gia Lai to receive football training). The school principal signed below and had a proper seal.

From many different legal perspectives, especially based on legally valuable documents, based on contacts with local authorities, I would like to give an official opinion on Cong Phuong's real age: It is true that Phuong was born in 1995".

Mr. Hung added: “When working with us, Mr. Nguyen Cong Bay - Cong Phuong's father appeared very sad and indignant: "Our family lives in the countryside, is simple, what is the intention to lie about the year of birth for our child. No one told us to do that."

Mr. Bay also said that he saw bad rumors about his son and the whole family felt upset, worried, and afraid that it would affect Cong Phuong.

According to Thanh Nien