Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang and his students defeated Ho Chi Minh City FC 2-0 in round 9 of the V-League on the evening of February 18.
Coach Kiatisuk struggled while leading HAGL, only managing to win a match by round 8, and the team from the mountainous city was at the bottom of the table.
However, after getting approval from Mr. Đức to transfer to lead CAHN on loan, the Thai coach immediately turned their luck around.
Unlike his predecessor Gong Oh-kyun, Coach Kiatisuk did not rely on young players but placed his trust in established stars, such as goalkeeper Filip Nguyen, center-back Bui Hoang Viet Anh, full-backs Vu Van Thanh, Ho Tan Tai, midfielders Le Pham Thanh Long, Nguyen Quang Hai, and the foreign players Jeferson Elias and Gieovane Magno. With their strongest lineup, CAHN dominated from the start.
In the first half, the ball was nearly always in Ho Chi Minh City’s half. The pressure from the home team materialized at the 24th minute when Jeferson Elias accurately positioned himself and headed the ball past goalkeeper Pham Huu Nghia to open the score. Four minutes later, they doubled the lead when Tan Tai and Van Thanh worked together seamlessly, breaking through Ho Chi Minh City’s left flank and passing the ball to Gieovane who comfortably scored from close range.
The gap nearly widened at the 45th minute. Elias had the ball when Van Thanh was unmarked, but the foreign player from CAHN clumsily passed the ball, ruining the chance. Regretting the missed opportunity, Van Thanh lost his temper, throwing his shin guards, and reprimanding his teammate.
In injury time, CAHN scored a third goal against Ho Chi Minh City when Gieovane dribbled past the defender and finished cleverly into the far corner. However, after consulting VAR, the referee cancelled the goal for offside by the home team’s foreign player.
With nothing to lose, Ho Chi Minh City pressed forward in the second half. The visitors improved, starting to organize some good attacks and creating scoring opportunities. But the foreign duo Cheick and Ntep were unlucky, continuously shooting harmlessly, sending the ball straight to goalkeeper Filip Nguyen.
The score remained 2-0 until the end, giving Coach Kiatisuk a victory in his debut with CAHN. The defending V-League champions moved up to 5th place with 15 points, seven points behind the league leaders Nam Dịnh. In round 10, Coach Kiatisuk and CAHN will continue to play at home, hosting Thanh Hoa.
In the other matches, Hanoi FC had a rough start to the new year, losing 0-2 during their visit to Thanh Hoa’s field. Nam Dinh continued to hold the top spot in the table with a 3-1 victory at Hai Phong’s Lach Tray Stadium.
Round 9 V.League 1 – 2023/2024:
Becamex Binh Duong 1-1 Quang Nam FC
The Cong – Viettel 0-0 Khanh Hoa FC
Hai Phong FC 1-3 Thep Xanh Nam Dinh
Hong Linh Ha Tinh 1-0 LP Bank HAGL
Song Lam Nghe An 2-0 Binh Dinh FC
Thanh Hoa FC 2-0 Hanoi FC
Hanoi Police FC 2-0 Ho Chi Minh FC
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