Ratchaburi, 27 November 2025 – Conceding twice in added time, Nam Dinh suffered a heartbreaking 0–2 defeat to Ratchaburi, officially losing their chance to reach the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Two 2025–2026.
Nam Dinh FC suffered a bitter defeat on the evening of 27 November, conceding two goals in stoppage time to fall 0–2 to Thailand’s Ratchaburi in their AFC Champions League Two (AFC Cup) Group F encounter. The heartbreaking loss shut the door on the Vietnamese side’s hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 in the 2025–2026 campaign.
Playing away at the Dragon Solar Park Stadium, Nam Dinh entered the match determined to secure a result in what was billed as a balanced showdown between two Southeast Asian rivals. Both teams started aggressively, trading dangerous attacks right from the opening minutes. In the first half, Nam Dinh produced several promising moments, especially from their wide players, with constant crosses targeting the box.
The best chance of the half arrived in the 40th minute. After Brenner’s intelligent lay-off, Ly Cong Hoang Anh burst into the penalty area but fired wide when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, wasting a golden opportunity to break the deadlock. Earlier, in the 10th minute, Percy Tau sprinted down the right and delivered a perfect cross for Lucas Alves, whose header forced a sharp save from the Ratchaburi keeper.
The second half followed a similar pattern: high tempo, open play, and numerous missed chances from both teams. Ratchaburi’s attackers also struggled with poor finishing, though Nam Dinh keeper Caique Santos produced an outstanding performance throughout the 90 minutes with multiple crucial saves.
However, disaster struck for Nam Dinh deep into stoppage time. In the 90+2 minute, Caique—who had played excellently all match—misjudged a floated cross from the right flank, failing to catch the ball cleanly. Sidcley was perfectly positioned to punish the error, tapping in the opening goal for Ratchaburi.
Riding the momentum, the home side struck again just three minutes later. Ikhsan Fandi executed a superb piece of control inside the box before firing a low shot across the goalkeeper, sealing a 2–0 victory for the Thai club.
The defeat leaves Nam Dinh effectively out of contention for the Round of 16. In Group F, Gamba Osaka lead with 15 points after five matches, followed by Ratchaburi with nine points and a +9 goal difference. Nam Dinh remain third with six points and a –2 goal difference, with no realistic path to qualification.
The late collapse marks a painful end to Nam Dinh’s continental ambitions this season, despite moments of promise and a spirited performance for most of the encounter.
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