Brian Jeffrey
An individual named Nguyen Van Nhat has been fined 5 million VND ($200) and suspended from all football activities overseen by the VFF for a year after being involved in an attempt to manipulate the outcome of a match.
Reports from the U16 Ho Chi Minh City women’s football team revealed that during the 2024 National U16 Women’s Football Championship, Nguyen Van Nhat approached the head coach of the U16 Ho Chi Minh City women’s team with a proposition. He suggested that the coach instruct the players to intentionally underperform, allowing U16 Thai Nguyen to secure a 2-0 victory in their match on July 21, 2024.
However, the coach of Ho Chi Minh City rejected the proposal and promptly reported the incident to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). The match on July 21 ended in a 1-1 draw between U16 Ho Chi Minh City and U16 Thai Nguyen. Subsequently, after his proposal was turned down, Nguyen Van Nhat proceeded to send disrespectful and threatening messages to the head coach of the U16 Ho Chi Minh City team on the evening of July 21, 2024.
Given the complexity of the situation, on July 23 and 24, the VFF’s relevant committees met with all involved parties and involved the Criminal Police Department in the investigation. During the discussions, Nguyen Van Nhat confessed to suggesting to the U16 Ho Chi Minh City coach that his team deliberately underperform to facilitate a 2-0 victory for U16 Thai Nguyen. He also admitted to sending offensive and threatening messages after his proposal was rejected.
Duong Nghiep Khoi, VFF General Secretary, confirmed that all relevant documents pertaining to the case have been forwarded to the VFF Disciplinary Committee for appropriate sanctions. Khoi underscored the VFF’s dedication to addressing negative behaviors decisively to ensure the sustainable and fair progress of Vietnamese football.
