Nghe An sailors traveled hundreds of kilometers to "fuel" the Vietnamese team before the match against Thailand.

Journey of carrying the national flag from sea to land

Bui Tuan Vu is one of the crew members of an ocean-going ship traveling from Thailand to Indonesia. While waiting to pick up goods at Thailand's Chonburi port, the 32-year-old man and some of his brothers on board decided to make a special journey to support the Vietnamese team in the AFF Cup 2022 final against Thailand.

"I am a fan of Song Lam Nghe An and the Vietnamese team. I am very excited and waiting for the upcoming final match between Vietnam and Thailand. Before the second leg of the final, all the crew members on the ship wanted to go to the stadium to cheer for the team.Coach Park Hang-seobecause we are in Thailand. However, cheering is also very difficult because of the nature of the job," Tuan Vu said.

Bui Tuan Vu carries the national flag from the ship to the mainland to cheer for the Vietnamese team. Photo: Hai Hoang

"First, we had to ask permission from the leadership to go to the mainland. Besides, it was important that the weather was good to make it easy to move, otherwise, we were forced to stay behind to supervise the work on the ship. When everything was favorable, my three brothers and I moved to the mainland. The captain was also on the trip, so we were very enthusiastic," Tuan Vu shared.

Tuan Vu said he and his crew had to pay to rent a canoe to travel about 10 nautical miles (15km) from the ship to Thailand's Chonburi port, then continue by car for more than 100km to Thammasat Stadium.

On the very special journey of Tuan Vu and his fellow sailors, the national flag was always carefully preserved. This is the flag that the sailors removed from their own ship, with the wish to bring the colors and spirit of the Vietnamese sea and islands to the final match of the AFF Cup 2022 in Thailand.

Waiting for the championship cup, celebrating Tet at the beach

Bui Tuan Vu, from Vinh City, is a loyal fan of Song Lam Nghe An Club and the Vietnam national team. The Nghe An boy put aside his passion for football to go on an ocean cruise for about a year now. There is no internet on the ship, so every time he docks at a port, Vu takes the opportunity to open the newspaper to read news about sports and football and call his family.

Bui Tuan Vu (red shirt) and crew members head to the mainland to cheer for the Vietnamese team. Photo: Hai Hoang

The decision of Tuan Vu and the crew to leave the ship for the mainland was not only difficult due to the nature of the work and travel, but also difficult in buying tickets. Because the Organizing Committee sold all of the more than 20,000 tickets online, Vu had to find a way to contact the Vietnam Fan Club to ask for purchase or support. Fortunately, he and the crew were enthusiastically helped by Vietnamese fans.

Tuan Vu's great motivation when traveling hundreds of kilometers to support the Vietnamese team is the expectation of winning the championship trophy right in Thailand. That will be a gift not only from the team but also from the fans to express gratitude to Coach Park after 5 years of attachment.

"What could be more wonderful than celebrating the championship trophy in Thailand? After that, the four of us immediately had to return to the ship to carry out our mission. It is expected that on the 30th of Tet, we will be drifting at sea. This Tet will be happier, less homesick when the Vietnamese team wins the AFF Cup", Tuan Vu emotionally shared./.