Bangkok, 18 December 2025 – Vietnam women’s futsal produced a historic performance by defeating Indonesia 5-0 in the final on December 18, becoming the first team outside Thailand to win the SEA Games futsal gold medal.
Vietnam entered the final in confident form after a strong group-stage campaign. They had earlier beaten Indonesia 3-1, then overcame Myanmar 4-2 to finish top of the group. In the semi-finals, a solitary goal from Tran Nguyet Vi was enough to see coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang’s side edge past the Philippines and book their place in the gold-medal match. Indonesia, meanwhile, finished second in Group B and shocked the tournament favorites Thailand in the semi-finals, drawing 4-4 after regular and extra time before prevailing 7-6 on penalties.
However, any momentum Indonesia carried into the final quickly evaporated. Vietnam struck decisively in the sixth minute when Kartika failed to clear her lines, allowing Le Thi Thanh Ngan to win possession, take a touch and unleash a powerful shot that left goalkeeper Salsadila helpless. Just one minute later, Thanh Ngan once again caused chaos, dribbling past a defender and shooting. Although her effort rebounded, Bui Thi Trang reacted quickly to feed the ball back to Thanh Ngan, who finished from close range to double the lead.
Indonesia’s nightmare opening continued in the eighth minute. Bien Thi Hang fired a long-range effort that forced another difficult save from Salsadila, but Tran Thi Thuy Trang followed up calmly to score Vietnam’s third goal. Three minutes later, another defensive error proved costly as Salsadila’s poor clearance struck K’Thua, allowing her to tap into an empty net and make it 4-0 before the first half had reached its midpoint.
With a commanding advantage, Vietnam slowed the tempo and allowed Indonesia more possession, yet the opponents struggled to create any meaningful chances before the break. After halftime, Indonesia attempted to respond with greater urgency. Goalkeeper Ngo Nguyen Thuy Linh was called into action early in the second half, producing a strong save from Anastasia’s close-range effort. From the 30th minute onward, Indonesia committed to an all-out power-play approach, but their ball circulation lacked the speed and precision needed to break down Vietnam’s disciplined defensive structure.
The final minutes saw renewed pressure on the Vietnamese goal. Thuy Linh made another crucial save in the 36th minute, and shortly after, Tran Nguyet Vi cleared the ball off the goal line to preserve the clean sheet. Then, right on the final whistle in the 40th minute, Vietnam delivered the perfect ending. With Indonesia pushing everyone forward, Nguyet Vi seized the opportunity to shoot from her own half into an unguarded net, sealing a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
As the referee signaled full time, the Vietnamese players and staff erupted in celebration. Flags were waved, towels thrown into the air, and the team ran jubilantly around the court at Bangkokthonburi University, marking a landmark moment for Vietnamese futsal. This triumph ended Thailand’s long-standing dominance of the sport at the SEA Games, where they had previously claimed all 10 gold medals across five editions in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2021.
While the women’s tournament concluded in historic fashion, the men’s futsal competition will finish on December 19. Vietnam’s men currently sit fourth with three points, trailing Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia by the same margin. They face the host nation later today before meeting Myanmar tomorrow, knowing that a defeat against Thailand would end their hopes of competing for the gold medal.
Thai Ha
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