On the evening of October 28, the VFF sent an official letter to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) to express its objection and request clarification regarding the display of the Chinese flag instead of the Vietnamese flag on the draw slip representing Vietnam’s futsal team.

The error occurred during the live draw held in Nonthaburi, Thailand, earlier that afternoon.

In its letter to the AFF, the VFF emphasized that such a serious mistake could negatively affect Vietnam’s national image and undermine the spirit of unity within the ASEAN community.

The VFF called on the AFF to investigate the cause of the incident and to implement stringent preventive measures to ensure similar errors do not recur in future regional events.

The VFF also expressed confidence that the AFF fully understands the severity of the issue and would handle the matter with the utmost responsibility, caution, and professionalism.

Roughly one hour after the ceremony ended, the FAT removed the video clip that had captured the error.

That same evening, FAT President Nualphan Lamsam, commonly known as Madam Pang, reached out to the VFF and its President Tran Quoc Tuan to deliver an official apology.

In her letter, Madam Pang wrote: “On behalf of the Football Association of Thailand, I would like to express my deepest regret and offer my sincerest apology for the unfortunate incident involving the incorrect display of Vietnam’s national flag during the draw ceremony of the 2025 ASEAN U19 Futsal Championship, hosted in Thailand on October 28.”

“This error does not reflect the respect and appreciation that the Football Association of Thailand holds for all national federations and their symbols,” she affirmed.

“We are fully aware of the seriousness of this mistake and accept full responsibility for the oversight.”

She also noted that the FAT had promptly taken corrective action, conducted a procedural review, and strengthened its event management process to ensure that such errors do not happen again.

“The Football Association of Thailand sincerely apologizes to the Vietnam Football Federation, the ASEAN Football Federation, and all concerned parties for this incident,” she stated.

“We deeply appreciate the continued support and understanding of VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan and reaffirm our strong commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and mutual respect at all AFF events hosted by Thailand,” Madam Pang concluded.

Dai Nam