Ninh Binh, 5 November 2025 – Nam Dinh FC narrowly missed out on a valuable point after being denied a clear penalty in the 87th minute, ultimately falling 0-1 to Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 group stage.
A controversial moment in the 87th minute overshadowed Nam Dinh FC’s brave performance as the reigning V.League 1 champions suffered a 0-1 home defeat to Gamba Osaka at Thien Truong Stadium on November 5. The result secured the Japanese side’s place in the Round of 16, while leaving Nam Dinh’s qualification hopes hanging in the balance.
The turning point came late in the match when Ly Cong Hoang Anh fired a right-footed volley inside the penalty area, and the ball struck the right arm of Takeru Kishimoto, which was not close to his body. Despite strong protests from Nam Dinh players, referee Baraa Kamal Abu Aisha waved play on after a brief consultation with his assistant, ruling out a penalty. With VAR technology not used in the group stage of AFC Champions League Two, Nam Dinh were left frustrated and without recourse to review the incident.
Earlier, Nam Dinh fielded assistant coach Andre Lima as acting head coach due to his AFC Pro License, while interim coach Nguyen Trung Kien remained listed as technical supervisor. The home side welcomed back key players Percy Tau, Caio Cesar, and Kyle Hudlin, but continued to suffer from a depleted wing lineup, forcing the team to deploy four central defenders — Lucas Alves, Walber, Dang Van Toi, and Duong Thanh Hao.
After five minutes of early pressure, the hosts conceded from Gamba Osaka’s second real opportunity. In the 12th minute, Ryo Hatsuse delivered a precise cross from the left flank, and despite six Nam Dinh defenders inside the box, Rin Mito rose highest to head powerfully into the net. Goalkeeper Caique Santos managed to get a touch but could not prevent the opener.
Nam Dinh fought back valiantly, with Percy Tau and Mahmoud Eid missing close-range chances before Caique redeemed himself by denying Issam Jebali and Takashi Usami with brilliant reflex saves. In the second half, Nam Dinh switched tactics to aerial play, pushing Hudlin (2.06m) and Lucas Alves (1.93m) into attacking positions to increase pressure.
The final 15 minutes saw relentless efforts from the home team, but the breakthrough never came. After the missed handball call, Brenner’s stoppage-time header was caught cleanly by goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi, sealing the narrow defeat.
With this result, Gamba Osaka climbed to 12 points and officially booked their place in the Round of 16, leading Group F by six points ahead of Nam Dinh and Ratchaburi. The Vietnamese champions now face a crucial clash against Ratchaburi in Thailand on November 27. A win will send Nam Dinh through with one game to spare, but a loss would force them to rely on other results when they host Eastern FC (Hong Kong) on December 11.
Despite the defeat, Nam Dinh’s spirited display and determination in front of their home crowd demonstrated their growing maturity on the continental stage — even as the lack of VAR once again became a decisive talking point.
Kim Tuyen
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