Midfielder Do Hung Dung of Hanoi FC won the Golden Ball award for player of the year. Photo zing.vn

Hai finished runner-up, followed by Nguyen Trong Hoang of Viettel.

Dung captained Vietnam to the title at the SEA Games 2019 after many years of waiting, and put in outstanding performances at both national and club level.

According to coach Chu Dinh Nghiem of V.League 1 defending champions Hanoi FC, the Golden Ball was a race between Dung and Hai.

"Whoever wins I am happy because they both play for my team. Hai and Dung are both very good. They have many contributions to both the club and the national team. It was difficult to predict the result,” said Nghiem.

"I voted for Dung. He has made a silent contribution for many years but has not been deservedly recognised,” Nghiem added.

Striker Cu Huynh Nhu of HCM City won the women's award. Nhu was a key player for the Vietnam national team, helping them win the SEA Games for the sixth time.

Nhu’s teammate Chuong Thi Kieu finished second, while Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung of Phong Phu Ha Nam was third.

Doan Van Hau of Hanoi FC was named the best young male player and Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngan of HCM City picked up the prize in the female category.

The best foreign player award went to Pape Omar Faye of Hanoi FC. The player from Senegal was a key player for the team as they took the V.League 1 2019 title and reached the AFC Cup final.

In futsal, Tran Van Vu of Thai Son Nam won the Golden Ball Award, followed by Nguyen Minh and Pham Duc Hoa.

Meanwhile, coaches Mai Duc Chung and Park Hang-seo received the Devotion Award for their contributions to Vietnamese football.

"The Golden Ball Award has gradually improved to honour all individuals who have made outstanding contributions to football in the country. This is also a source of encouragement for the players to try harder," said deputy chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation Tran Quoc Tuan at the ceremony yesterday.

"2019 is an emotional year for Vietnamese fans with success in the Asian Cup and the SEA Games. The futsal team and football clubs like Binh Duong and Hanoi also shone on the continental arena," Tuan added.

The Vietnamese Golden Ball award was started in 1995 by Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper with coaches, experts and journalists voting for the best players. VNS

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