2008 AFF Championship final
 Vietnam national football team at the second leg match on December 28, 2008. | |||||||
| Event | 2008 AFF Championship | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Vietnam won the championship for the first time. | |||||||
| First leg | |||||||
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| Date | 24 December 2008 | ||||||
| Venue | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Nguyễn Vũ Phong (Vietnam) | ||||||
| Referee | Ramachandran Krishnan (Malaysia) | ||||||
| Attendance | 50,000 | ||||||
| Weather | Clear sky | ||||||
| Second leg | |||||||
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| Date | 28 December 2008 | ||||||
| Venue | Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Nguyễn Minh Phương (Vietnam) | ||||||
| Referee | Abdul Malik (Singapore) | ||||||
| Attendance | 40,000 | ||||||
| Weather | Cold | ||||||
The 2008 AFF Championship final was the final match of the 2008 AFF Championship organised by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The match was played over two legs between Vietnam and Thailand. The first leg was held at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on 24 December, while the second leg was held at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hanoi on 28 December 2008.
Vietnam won the final with a total score of 3–2 after both matches to become the AFF Cup champion for the first time in history, since the tournament was renamed in 2007. This victory of the Vietnamese team was ranked by the website Goal.com as one of the top 10 outstanding Asian football events of 2008,[1] as well as voted by Vietnamnet readers as one of the top 10 outstanding events of Vietnam in the year.[2] This victory marked the first time Vietnam won a regional tournament, and the first time in 10 years since Vietnam lost in the final of the 1998 Tiger Cup.
Background
[edit]Vietnam
[edit]Ahead of the 2008 AFF Championship, Vietnam entered the tournament with high expectations but also a lot of pressure. A year earlier, the team had made a big splash when, for the first time in history, they advanced past the group stage of an AFC Asian Cup and reached the quarter-finals after an impressive 2–0 victory over the United Arab Emirates. The achievement at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was considered an important milestone, helping Vietnamese football affirm its new position in the continental arena and receive great attention from the regional media.[3]
However, at that time, Vietnamese football was still in the process of recovery and reconstruction after the match-fixing scandal involving a number of players of the U-23 team at the 2005 SEA Games. This incident severely affected the image of the team, forcing the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to carry out a series of reforms in organization, management and player training.[4] In that context, many youth football academies were established to systematically develop the next generation of human resources, notably the Hoang Anh Gia Lai - Arsenal JMG Academy established in 2007.[4]
Despite never having won the AFF Cup before, the Vietnamese team entered the tournament with great confidence from domestic fans, based on their improved performance from the Asian Cup and their determination to assert their position after a long period of internal pressure. That context created a strong motivation for the team to aim for the highest goal in this tournament.
Thailand
[edit]Before the 2008 AFF Cup, the Thai team entered the tournament as co-hosts, planning to hold the group stage matches in Bangkok. However, the unstable political situation in the capital forced the Organizing Committee to move all these matches to Phuket on November 29, 2008.[5] Organizing the tournament manually like that further increased the professional pressure on the Thai team.[5]
In terms of force, after being unable to advance deep in the World Cup qualifiers (losing in the third group stage), coach Charnwit Polcheewin officially resigned on June 25, 2008.[6] Peter Reid—former England manager—was then appointed on 23 July, set to take up the role on 1 September, also taking charge of the U20 team.[6] The 2008 AFF Cup campaign was an opportunity for Thailand to win the championship for the 8th time in history, following the previous 7 championships.
Route to the final
[edit]Note: In all results below, the finalist's score is given first. (H: Home, A: Away)
 Thailand
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Round |  Vietnam
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| Opponent | Score | Group stage | Opponent | Score | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnam
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2–0 | Match 1 | Thailand
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0–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Laos
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6–0 | Match 2 |  Malaysia
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3–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malaysia
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3–0 | Match 3 | Laos
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4–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First in Group B
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Final standings | Second in Group B
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opponent | AGG | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Knockout stage | Opponent | AGG | 1st leg | 2nd leg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Indonesia
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3–1 | 1–0 (A) | 2–1 (H) | Semi-final |  Singapore
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1–0 | 0–0 (H) | 1–0 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thailand
[edit]Thailand were drawn into Group B along with Vietnam, Malaysia and Laos. The group stage of Group B was originally scheduled to be held in Bangkok, however due to the unstable political situation, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) moved all matches to Phuket province.[5] Under the guidance of coach Peter Reid, the Thai team showed superior performance compared to the opponents in the same group.
In the opening match, Thailand defeated Vietnam 2–0, thereby creating a big advantage in the race for a ticket to the next round.[7] Next, the team beat Laos 6–0 in the second match, before ending the group stage with a 3–0 victory over Malaysia. After 3 matches, Thailand won 9 absolute points, scored 11 goals and conceded none, thereby topping Group B with an outstanding goal difference. In the semi-finals, Thailand met Indonesia – the runner-up in Group A. In the first leg in Jakarta, the away team won 1–0 thanks to the ability to control the game and make good use of set pieces. In the second leg at home, Thailand continued to show their superiority and won 2–1. With a total score of 3-1 after two matches, Thailand has appeared in an AFF Cup final for the seventh time.
Vietnam
[edit]Vietnam were also in Group B, and opened the tournament with a match against Thailand – a rival with many ties in the region. Despite starting the match with determination, Vietnam lost 0–2 in this match.[7] However, coach Henrique Calisto’s team did not let the initial defeat affect the overall spirit of the team. In the second match, Vietnam faced Malaysia and won a thrilling 3-2 victory, opening up great hope for a ticket to the semi-finals. In the final match, the team played convincingly and defeated Laos 4–0, closing the group stage with 6 points. With this achievement, Vietnam ranked second in Group B, after Thailand, and won the right to continue.[8]
In the semi-finals, Vietnam faced Singapore – the defending champion and host of Group A. The first leg at My Dinh Stadium ended with a score of 0–0, in a tight and calculating match. In the second leg at the Singapore National Stadium, Vietnam surprisingly won 1–0 thanks to the decisive goal of striker Nguyen Quang Hai. With this result, Vietnam entered the AFF Cup final for the second time in history.[9]
Matches
[edit]First leg
[edit]| Thailand | 1–2 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
Dương Hồng Sơn  75' (o.g.) |
Report | Nguyễn Vũ Phong 40' Lê Công Vinh 42' |
       Thailand
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 Vietnam
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Player of the match:
|
Second leg
[edit]| Vietnam | 1–1 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Lê Công Vinh 90+4' |
Report | Teerasil Dangda 21' |
Vietnam
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Thailand
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Player of the match:
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Vietnam win with aggregate 3–2.
Post-match
[edit]
After a 1–1 draw in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium, with a total score of 3–2, the Vietnamese team officially won the 2008 AFF Championship for the first time in history. This was a turning point achievement, marking the affirmation of the strong position of Vietnamese football in the Southeast Asian region.[10]
The most emotional highlight of the second leg of the final was the moment in injury time when Lê Công Vinh jumped high to head the ball back from a free kick by Minh Phương, sending it into the net, equalizing 1–1 for Vietnam. This header not only brought Vietnam to the championship with a total score of 3–2, but also made My Dinh Stadium explode with joy, as millions of domestic fans cheered and danced in celebration. That last-minute goal was given names such as “golden goal” by the media and officially became associated with the name of Lê Công Vinh.[10] Not only contributing the decisive goal, Công Vinh also scored in the first leg, helping Vietnam win 2-1 in Thailand and creating important psychological momentum before the second leg.[11]
After the match ended, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng personally presented the championship trophy to captain Phan Văn Tài Em, marking the first time Vietnam won the championship of the tournament. During the award ceremony, goalkeeper Dương Hồng Sơn was honored as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. This goalkeeper kept a clean sheet in many key matches, especially defeating Singapore in the semi-finals and played an important role in the final victory.[11][12]
"My Dinh Stadium exploded, I took off my shirt and ran crazily to the sidelines, in the happiest moment of my life. I would never trade that feeling for anything else. Bursting, relieved, happy, satisfied, all rolled into one. I only scored two goals in the entire tournament, and those were in the two finals. How could I ever fully express my gratitude to the wonderful teacher who was by my side, my teammates who fought side by side in the life-and-death matches, and those passionate fans. They were the most difficult people, but also the most lovable. I just kept running, letting my feet take me wherever they wanted. It took me a while to regain my composure and return to the pitch so the match could start again. I frantically searched for my shirt that had accidentally fallen somewhere. A teammate gave me a spare shirt, but that was no longer important. Before I could put it on, the referee blew the whistle to end the match. I have never heard a whistle so... lovely."
The historic victory made millions of Vietnamese people take to the streets to celebrate in all provinces and cities. In Hanoi, central streets such as Tràng Tiền, Nguyễn Chí Thanh, Đống Đa... were filled with vehicles, red flags with yellow stars, and car horns, lasting until dawn the next day.[12] In Ho Chi Minh City, central areas such as Districts 1, 3, and Tân Bình also saw jubilant celebrations.[12] Not only in big cities, but also in Huế, Quảng Ngãi, Hội An, and Nha Trang, people brought flags to the streets and were filled with joy.[12] In Cần Thơ, this was the first time since the victory over Malaysia in the 2002 AFF Cup that local people took to the streets to celebrate in such large numbers.[12] And Rạch Giá City (Kiên Giang) really "exploded" when Công Vinh scored. Fans poured into the streets, causing long traffic jams on many streets, and the authorities had to work hard to regulate and maintain order.[12]
Domestic and international media quickly called this a “miracle”, as this was the first time Vietnam had won a regional tournament.[11] The press evaluated Cong Vinh’s “last minute” header as a symbol of Vietnam’s hope, determination and bravery.[11][13] And in 2018, under the leadership of coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnam won the AFF Championship for the second time,[14] but then the team failed in 2020 and 2022.[15] In 2024, Vietnam won the championship for the third time with coach Kim Sang-sik, affirming the stable development of Vietnamese football in the next decade.[16]
References
[edit]Newspaper caption
[edit]- ^ "Việt Nam lọt vào top 10 sự kiện bóng đá châu Á" [Vietnam in top 10 Asian football events]. VNExpress. Hanoi: Ngọc Tuấn. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Cùng VietNamNet bình chọn 10 sự kiện của năm" [Join VietNamNet to vote for the 10 events of the year]. Vietnamnet (in Vietnamese). 31 December 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Vietnam shock Gulf champs UAE". Abc.net.au. 8 July 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Học viện bóng đá JMG Hoàng Anh Gia lai: Sẽ ra đời đầu năm 2007" [Hoang Anh Gia Lai - Arsenal JMG Football Academy: Will be established in early 2007]. Tuổi Trẻ (in Vietnamese). Sỹ Huyền. 30 November 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "Thailand shifts Suzuki Cup out of troubled Bangkok". Yahoo! Sports. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 15 December 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2008.
- ^ a b "Cựu HLV câu lạc bộ Sunderland làm huấn luyện viên trưởng đội tuyển Thái Lan từ ngày 1/9" [Former Sunderland coach becomes head coach of Thailand national team from September 1, 2008]. Tiền Phong (in Vietnamese). Huy Anh. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ a b "AFF Suzuki Cup 2008, bảng B, ĐT Việt Nam-ĐT Thái Lan: 0-2" [AFF Suzuki Cup 2008, Group B, Vietnam-Thailand: 0-2]. Vietnam Football Federation (official website, news report) (in Vietnamese). 6 December 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Việt Nam vào bán kết AFF Suzuki Cup 2008" [Vietnam entered the semi-finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008]. Voice of Vietnam (in Vietnamese). Hanoi. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "Thắng Singapore 1-0, Việt Nam vào chung kết AFF Cup 2008" [Beating Singapore 1-0, Vietnam entered the final of AFF Cup 2008]. Tuổi Trẻ (in Vietnamese). Reporters. 21 December 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Ký ức chung kết AFF Cup 2008: Vỡ òa với 'bàn thắng vàng' của Công Vinh" [Memories of the 2008 AFF Cup final: Bursting with Cong Vinh's 'golden goal']. Tiền Phong. A Phi. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Bàn thắng phút chót giúp VN lần đầu vô địch Đông Nam Á" [Last minute goal helps Vietnam win Southeast Asian championship for the first time]. VNExpress (in Vietnamese). Hanoi. 28 December 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Nổ tung trời đêm mừng chiến thắng của tuyển bóng đá Việt Nam" [Exploding night sky to celebrate the victory of Vietnam football team]. Tuổi Trẻ (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: Reporters. 28 December 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Công Vinh nhớ về bàn thắng 'vàng' đem lại chức vô địch AFF Cup 2008" [Cong Vinh remembers the "golden goal" that brought the 2008 AFF Cup championship]. ZNews (in Vietnamese). 8 November 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Vietnam wins AFF Cup 2018". Voice of Vietnam (VOV). Hanoi. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "After Park Hang-seo era ended with AFF Championship final defeat, where do Vietnam go from here?". ESPN. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Vietnam set multiple records with third ASEAN Cup win". VNExpress. Hanoi: Xuân Bình. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
Books
[edit]- Lê Công Vinh (2018). Minute 89. Hanoi: World Publishing House