Departing Hanoi at 9:35 AM on December 23, the Vietnam national team arrived safely in Singapore early this afternoon. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team quickly completed immigration procedures and moved to the designated hotel provided by the organizers.
The team held a light training session on a natural grass field later in the day and will have several more practice sessions before their first-leg semi-final match against Singapore on December 26. Notably, the match will take place on an artificial turf field.
A Nostalgic Semi-Final Encounter
This semi-final clash marks only the second time Vietnam and Singapore have met at this stage in the tournament’s history. The first instance was at the 2008 AFF Cup, a tournament that rewrote Vietnam’s footballing history. Back then, Vietnam was seen as the underdog against defending champion Singapore.
The first leg at My Dinh Stadium ended in a hard-fought 0-0 draw. Vietnam narrowly escaped going behind when a Singapore goal was disallowed for a foul during an aerial duel. The decisive moment came in the second leg at Singapore’s National Stadium, where Nguyen Quang Hai scored the only goal of the tie in the 74th minute. Vietnam advanced to the final with a 1-0 aggregate victory, where they defeated Thailand to clinch their maiden AFF Cup title.
The Legacy of the 2008 Victory
The 2008 AFF Cup triumph elevated Vietnam’s status in Southeast Asian football. Without that breakthrough, Vietnam could have faced a similar fate to Indonesia—longing for AFF Cup glory but repeatedly falling short due to psychological pressure and a lack of confidence.
Fast forward 16 years, and Vietnam once again faces Singapore in the semi-finals. Interestingly, the current squad features another Nguyen Quang Hai, who now carries the hopes of fans to replicate the heroics of his namesake in 2008. The parallels don’t stop there—if Vietnam overcomes Singapore, they are likely to meet Thailand in the final, setting the stage for another historic campaign.
Fans Dream of Another Glorious Campaign
Vietnam’s journey to Singapore is fueled by both nostalgia and ambition. The team and its supporters are hopeful for a repeat of the 2008 script: defeating Singapore in the semi-finals, toppling Thailand in the final, and reclaiming the regional crown. With the momentum gained from their group stage success and the firepower of players like Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Quang Hai, the team is ready to chase its dream of ASEAN Cup glory once more.
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