1. The Vietnamese national football squad, led by Korean Coach Park Hang Seo, entered the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup for the first time.

The team bagged 17 points after eight matches, including five wins, two draws, and one loss 2-3 to the UAE. The team was placed in Pot 6 among six groups for the draw, together with Lebanon. Vietnam ranked 11th among 12 teams competing in the third qualifiers.

Though the team could not win a ticket to Qatar, they officially laid a brick for the World Cup dream.

2. The Vietnamese women's football team got a ticket to the Women's Football World Cup 2023.

The squad beat the Chinese Taipei 2-1 at a February 6 play-off match of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, winning a tickets to the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc extended his congratulations to the team for their victory attributing the achievement to the talented team’s solidarity, effort and determination to overcome difficulties under the guidance of head coach Mai Duc Chung. President Phuc called the victory a milestone in the nation’s football’s history.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a letter of congratulations and is scheduled to meet the team after they return home on Thursday.

The final round of the women’s World Cup 2023 will take place from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

After winning a ticket to the World Cup, the team and coach Mai Duc Chung had another achievement at the 31st Southeast Asian Games when successfully defending the championship for the third consecutive time.

At the same time, the men’s U23 national squad, after successfully defending the championship at the 31st SEA Games, played very well at the U23 Asian Finals. Other young teams such as the U19 won a card to the U20 Asian finals 2023, making 2022 a successful year for Vietnamese football.

3. In 2022, Quang Hai became the first Vietnamese player to go to Europe to play football with a professional contract instead of a commercial one like other players.

Vietnam’s leading footballer Nguyen Quang Hai signed a two-year contract with French side Pau FC of Ligue 2 in June 2022.

The move marks the first time that Quang Hai has played for a foreign club. He is following in the footsteps of other national team players such as Nguyen Cong Phuong and Doan Van Hau who previously tried their luck in Europe.

Hai played for Hanoi FC for six seasons, during which he scored 35 goals in 126 matches, won three V.League 1 titles, two National Cups, and three National Super Cups. He was awarded Golden Ball Award in 2018.

The midfielder played a key role in Vietnam winning second place at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship. He also made significant contributions to the national team winning the 2018 AFF Cup, a gold medal in the men’s football at SEA Games 30, and in Vietnam's journey to the final round of qualifiers to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Huynh Nhu also became the first female Vietnamese player to go to Europe to join Lank FC in the Portuguese league. She signed a contract with Portuguese side Lank FC Vilaverdense in August 2022. 

Nhu's on-loan contract will last till the end of June 2023 with an option for another year. She will receive 1,500 euros per month. Lank FC also pays for her accommodation and meals at around 1,000 euros monthly.

Nhu, from Tra Vinh Province, is one of the best female footballers of Viet Nam. She has won the national championship seven times, and the National Cup three times along with SEA Games and AFF Cup gold medals.

The striker also holds a record of scoring the most goals for Vietnam national team with 59 in 67 matches. She places No 23 in the all-time international female goalscorer.

4. The year 2022 was memorable when the IXth congress of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) was successfully held with new leaders.

Tran Quoc Tuan, VFF acting president was elected president of the national football governing body at its nine congress held in Hanoi on November 6.

Tuan is the only candidate in the race for the hot seat, and his vast experience and reputation won support of 100 delegates taking part in the convention.

He was elected vice president at the 8th VFF congress in 2018 and acting president in 2020 after the then president Le Khanh Hai quit working following his appointment as chairman of the State President’s Office. Currently Tuan is head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competition Committee.

The congress also elected Tran Anh Tu, chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), and Nguyen Trung Kien, Next Media’s General Manager, as vice presidents of VFF.
 

Duy Nguyen