After losing to SHB Da Nang, Song Lam Nghe An was eliminated in the round of 16 of the National Cup.

The Round of 16 of the 2025/26 National Cup at Vinh Stadium will see a clash between Song Lam Nghe An and SHB Da Nang, with the two teams having completely different mindsets. The Nghe An team has just rediscovered their form after an important victory in the V.League, while Da Nang is still struggling at the bottom of the table and under considerable pressure from the relegation battle.

It's safe to say that Song Lam Nghe An enters the Round of 16 with a relatively relaxed mindset thanks to their recent victory in the V.League. This result has helped the team from Nghe An temporarily move to a safer position in the race to avoid the 1.5 relegation spots, and at the same time, has helped coach Van Sy Son relieve some of the pressure since returning to lead his hometown team. SLNA certainly wants to continue maintaining this momentum to create more motivation for the road ahead, especially in the context of the whole team striving to overcome difficulties in terms of personnel and form.

Besides the psychological boost, the National Cup match also provided an opportunity for SLNA to test several positions in the lineup. Coach Van Sy Son continued to maintain his familiar 4-4-2 formation with a defense consisting of four defenders: Vuong Van Huy, Le Van Thanh, Hoang Van Khanh, and Ho Van Cuong. The midfield was entrusted to four players: Phan Ba ​​Quyen, Ho Khac Ngoc, Enrique, and Tran Manh Quynh, while Dale Moore and Olaha continued to partner up front.

Aiming for victory and a place in the quarter-finals, SLNA started the match proactively, pushing their formation high up the field to put pressure on the opponent's goal. The confidence gained from the previous round allowed the home team to play more freely, aiming to extend their positive run of form in the cup competition.

Song Lam Nghe An started proactively, pushing forward and pressing from the very first minutes. However, they unexpectedly conceded an early goal in the 6th minute. Following a powerful breakthrough in the midfield, Dang Tuan Anh dribbled past the SLNA defenders before unleashing a delicate finish, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

After conceding a goal, SLNA immediately pushed their formation forward in search of an equalizer. In the 9th minute, the home team created their first dangerous opportunity with an attack down the right wing. Enrique changed direction and passed the ball to Ho Van Cuong. The midfielder delivered a very dangerous cross, but Manh Quynh couldn't make a proper touch, missing the chance to level the score.

In the following minutes, SLNA continued to heavily exploit the right flank, where Ho Van Cuong and Phan Ba ​​Quyen had many effective combinations. In addition, Olaha's attacking players also helped the home team create several notable opportunities. Most notably, in the 25th minute, Ho Van Cuong broke through after a teammate's through ball, but his cross to Olaha failed to get past the Da Nang defense.

Despite numerous attacks, SLNA failed to score and paid the price. In the 28th minute, from a lightning-fast counter-attack, Henen David Boris used his speed to get past Le Van Thanh's challenge and delivered a perfect cross for Milan Makaric to easily finish, increasing SHB Da Nang's lead to 2-0.

After conceding the second goal, SLNA threw everything into finding a goal to reduce the deficit. The team continuously created attacking opportunities on both flanks, especially with crosses from Vuong Van Huy and Ho Van Cuong, but their teammates inside the box repeatedly missed chances. In the 39th minute, Olaha had a very favorable opportunity when he received the ball in an open position in the middle of the penalty area, but his one-touch shot went straight to goalkeeper Van Bieu.

In the second half, SLNA continued to push forward and put pressure on their opponents. In the 48th minute, from a cross from the left wing, Olaha controlled the ball and unleashed a quick shot, but the ball went straight to the goalkeeper, preventing him from scoring.

By the 55th minute, SLNA's difficulties intensified when striker Dale Moore was sent off after a collision with an SHB Da Nang defender. Playing with ten men, the home team faced even greater challenges in finding an equalizer.

Nevertheless, SLNA did not give up. They launched a series of attacks, but shots from Olaha and Khắc Ngọc were unable to beat goalkeeper Văn Biểu. In the 71st minute, Olaha turned and fired a beautiful shot inside the penalty area, but the ball hit the crossbar and bounced out. Immediately afterwards, Mạnh Quỳnh rushed in to head the rebound, but the ball went wide of the goal, a regrettable miss.

After much pressure, the Da Nang defense finally made a mistake, with the ball touching a hand inside the penalty area. The referee awarded SLNA a penalty, and Olaha easily beat Van Bieu to reduce the score to 1–2.

Continuing their momentum, SLNA pressed their opponents. In the 86th minute, Quang Vinh unleashed a powerful long-range shot from just outside the penalty area, forcing goalkeeper Van Bieu to make a difficult save.

However, in the 88th minute, from a sharp counter-attack, a teammate played a perfect through pass for Dinh Duy to run down and face the goalkeeper, calmly finishing to increase the score to 3-1 for SHB Da Nang.

But just one minute later, SLNA rekindled their hopes when Olaha showed skillful footwork in the penalty area before unleashing a decisive shot, reducing the score to 2-3.

In the remaining minutes, SLNA launched a full-scale attack to find an equalizer, but all opportunities were wasted. The match ended with a 3-2 victory for SHB Da Nang, meaning Song Lam Nghe An was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the 2025/26 National Cup.