Chonburi, 24 July 2026 – After starring in Vietnam’s emphatic 7-0 victory over Timor-Leste in their opening match of the ASEAN Cup 2026, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac revealed the inspiration behind his eye-catching goal celebration while crediting the team’s success to weeks of thorough preparation.
Vietnam made a dream start to their title defense with a dominant performance, as Dinh Bac stole the spotlight by scoring a brilliant hat-trick. Do Hoang Hen added two goals, while Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Quang Hai also found the net to complete the convincing victory.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Dinh Bac admitted that he was equally pleased with all three of his goals and explained the origin of his celebration.
“I loved all three goals,” Dinh Bac said. “The celebration was inspired by some Brazilian players—I wanted to recreate their celebration. I hope our fans will continue supporting the national team throughout the tournament. See you all at My Dinh Stadium for the next match.”
The 22-year-old also emphasized that the convincing result was no coincidence, but rather the reward for the team’s intensive month-long preparation leading up to the tournament.
Head coach Kim Sang-sik shared the same view, expressing his satisfaction with both the performance and the confidence shown by his players throughout the match.
“We prepared very well and were able to play the way we wanted,” Kim said. “Every player performed with confidence and contributed positively. Now our focus shifts to the next match, where we will once again aim for victory.”
The South Korean coach also took time to thank the supporters who turned out despite difficult weather conditions.
“The weather wasn’t ideal today, but the fans still came to support the team. I sincerely appreciate everyone who cheered for us at the stadium as well as those supporting us from Vietnam. We will continue working hard and delivering our best performances to repay their faith.”
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste head coach Ze Pedro acknowledged Vietnam’s superiority and praised the defending champions for an outstanding display.
“We faced a very strong team with excellent players,” Ze Pedro said. “We made several mistakes that led to the goals, but Vietnam also played extremely well. We are a young team, and there is still a lot for us to learn and improve.”
The Timor-Leste coach also admitted that the gulf in quality made the contest particularly difficult.
“Playing against a team of Vietnam’s caliber is always a huge challenge. They showed us great respect by fielding many of their key players, which made the match even more demanding for us.”
Following the impressive opening victory, Vietnam will return home to continue their ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign, hosting Singapore at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on July 31, as Kim Sang-sik’s side look to build on their dominant start and move a step closer to the knockout stage.
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