The condition of My Dinh Stadium has become a concern for the Vietnamese Football Federation (VFF) as the venue is scheduled to host the “Anh Trai Say Hi” concert on December 7, just eight days before Vietnam’s first home match against Indonesia in the AFF Cup 2024. The concert setup, combined with the winter weather in Hanoi, raises fears that the stadium’s grass may not meet playing standards, as the field will be covered with concert equipment and affected by colder seasonal conditions that hinder grass growth.
The unexpected scheduling of the concert at My Dinh, managed by the National Sports Complex, has caught the VFF off guard, as the AFF Cup match schedule has been set since early in the year. According to the stadium rental agreement, which costs approximately 800 million VND per match, the management is obligated to maintain the field to meet VFF and AFF standards. Additionally, the stadium should remain unused for events at least three weeks before any official football match to ensure optimal field quality.
The primary income for the National Sports Complex currently comes from renting out its facilities for cultural, entertainment, and sports events. As a result, priority is often given to higher-paying events. Not only does the national team rely on My Dinh, but The Cong FC also chose it as their home venue for the 2024-2025 V-League season; however, they too must accommodate other high-revenue events.
In response, the VFF is discussing alternatives, including relocating the Vietnam team’s matches to Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho, either for the Indonesia match or both group-stage games. Following the Indonesia game on December 15, Vietnam is scheduled to play Myanmar at home on December 21.
Viet Tri Stadium, with a seating capacity of 20,000, has been renovated for 44 billion VND to host events such as the 31st SEA Games and has already held matches for the U22 level, the 2024 AFC U23 qualifiers, and the 2025 AFC U17 qualifiers. Although the stadium has not hosted the national team, it remains a strong option.
However, if Viet Tri is chosen, the VFF will need to coordinate with the Timor Leste Football Federation (FFTL), as Timor Leste has already reserved Viet Tri as their “home” venue for Group A matches due to issues with their own stadium. Timor Leste is set to face Thailand on December 8 and Singapore on December 14 at Viet Tri. Hang Day Stadium in central Hanoi, with a smaller seating capacity, may be recommended to FFTL as an alternative.
The AFF Cup 2024 will take place from December 8, 2024, to January 5, 2025, featuring 10 teams split into two groups. Each team will play two home and two away matches, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage, which includes home-and-away semifinals and finals.
As My Dinh Stadium, part of the 53-million-USD National Sports Complex established for the 2003 SEA Games, faces financial challenges, it has become reliant on income from non-sporting events. Financial scrutiny has grown since 2018, when government audits revealed irregularities in land leasing and substantial unpaid taxes. As of late November 2023, the complex reportedly owes close to 942 billion VND in land taxes and penalties, leading to tax enforcement actions and restrictions on invoice issuance.
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