ESPN spotlights Dinh Bac ahead of 2026 ASEAN Cup final
VOV.VN - US sports website ESPN has featured Vietnamese striker Nguyen Dinh Bac ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final second leg against Thailand, highlighting the 22-year-old’s form and his ambition to help Vietnam defend their regional title.
In its pre-match article, ESPN noted that Dinh Bac is in contention to help Vietnam win a fourth ASEAN Cup title, while also competing with teammate Nguyen Xuan Son for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Dinh Bac and Xuan Son have both scored five goals in the tournament, putting the striker in contention to become one of the youngest Golden Boot winners in ASEAN Cup history.
However, the 22-year-old has made clear that the individual award is not his priority. ESPN quoted Dinh Bac, saying he and Xuan Son were not focused on their personal achievements and that helping Vietnam win the title would be the biggest and most valuable achievement for both players.
"As everyone knows, both Xuan Son and I currently have five goals but neither of us are focused on individual achievements," Dinh Bac said in August 25 pre-match news conference.
"If the team can achieve a good result and win the title, that will be the greatest and most-prestigious achievement for both of us, and the entire team.”
Vietnam take a 2-0 lead into the second leg after Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai scored in the first encounter in Bangkok.
Despite the advantage, Dinh Bac said Vietnam would approach the return match as though the score were still 0-0, underlining the team’s determination to avoid complacency.
That mindset is shared by head coach Kim Sang-sik, who has also stressed that Vietnam have not yet secured the title despite their two-goal advantage.
“At this moment, there is still nothing in my pocket. We have not secured anything yet. We are in an advantageous position because we won the first leg 2-0 but we still have to win the second leg before we can lift the trophy that we want.”
The final second leg between Vietnam and Thailand is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. on August 26 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.
Vietnam hold upper hand as Thailand face uphill task in ASEAN Cup final
VOV.VN - Vietnam take a 2-0 lead into the ASEAN Cup 2026 final decider against Thailand at My Dinh National Stadium on August 26, giving the defending champions more options while forcing the visitors to attack from the outset.
