AFC penalizes Dinh Bac and VFF

A penalty for Nguyen Dinh Bac due to a red card at the U23 Asian championship, and for the Vietnam Football Federation for card offenses in the SEA Games 33 final, was announced this afternoon.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) must pay a fine of 1,500 USD, approximately 38 million VND, because five Vietnamese players received yellow cards in the 3-2 victory over Thailand in the SEA Games 33 final. The players penalized were Khuat Van Khang, Pham Minh Phuc, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, and Le Van Thuan.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Dinh Bac received a two-match ban for a direct red card in the 86th minute, for kicking the shin of South Korea’s Lee Chan-ouk during the U23 Asian 2026 third-place match. The forward, born in 2004, was also fined 1,000 USD.

Vietnamese forward Nguyen Thanh Nhan (left) received a yellow card for removing his shirt after scoring the winning goal, securing a 3-2 victory against Thailand in the SEA Games 33 men's football final, at Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand on 18/12/2025. Photo: Duc Dong

This was also the last U23 Asian championship for the forward born in 2004. As a result, Dinh Bac’s suspension extends to the senior national team level, meaning he will miss two matches in competitions under the Asian Cup system.

This penalty adheres to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Code 2024, article 38.2.2. According to this article, in Asian age-group tournaments, a player sent off in their team's last match will be suspended for the next edition of that age-group tournament. If the penalty cannot be applied in that age-group tournament, the player will be suspended in the next higher age-group competition.

Consequently, Dinh Bac will be unable to play in Vietnam’s match against Malaysia in the final round of Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, Group F, at Thien Truong Stadium, Ninh Binh on 31/3. If Vietnam qualifies for the final tournament and Dinh Bac is registered to participate, he will miss the team’s opening group stage match. The Asian Cup 2027 will be held in Saudi Arabia from 7/1 to 5/2/2027.

Nguyen Dinh Bac played in Vietnam's 2-2 draw against South Korea, followed by a 7-6 penalty shootout victory in the U23 Asian 2026 third-place match, at King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 23/1. Photo: Ted Tran

In addition to Dinh Bac, Pham Ly Duc also received a three-match ban for an off-the-ball foul in the 0-3 loss to China in the U23 Asian 2026 semifinals. The defender, born in 2003, missed the third-place match against South Korea, and his suspension applies similarly to Dinh Bac.

Dinh Bac’s absence impacts coach Kim Sang-sik’s attacking options for the crucial Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Malaysia. The team currently ranks second in Group F with 12 points, three points behind Malaysia. The team’s goal difference is also lower, at +6 compared to Malaysia’s +14. Tie-breaking criteria after points are head-to-head record, followed by goal difference. Having lost 0-4 in the first leg against Malaysia, Vietnam needs a five-goal winning margin to reclaim the top spot in the group. If Vietnam wins by four goals, both teams will have equal statistics, requiring a penalty shootout to decide the winner.

However, FIFA identified that Malaysia used ineligible naturalized players in the final qualifiers. If their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) fails, Malaysia risks 0-3 forfeits for two matches against Nepal and Vietnam last year. In that scenario, Vietnam would automatically top the group, rendering the 31/3 match irrelevant.

Hieu Luong

By VnExpress: https://vnexpress.net/ldbd-chau-a-phat-dinh-bac-va-vff-5044361.html