The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has suspended referee Tran Ngoc Nho following an incorrect penalty decision during The Cong's 1-1 draw with PVF-CAND in V-League 2025-2026 on 22/5. The decision came despite Nho consulting the video assistant referee (VAR) system during the match.
The incident occurred in the 20th minute when The Cong hosted PVF-CAND in the 24th round of V-League. Thanh Nhan dribbled from the byline and passed to Ha Van Viet inside the penalty area. After controlling the ball, Van Viet prepared to shoot but fell. Referee Tran Ngoc Nho, who was close by and had a clear view, immediately awarded a penalty, believing a The Cong defender had fouled Van Viet.
Tinh huong dan den phat den cho PVF-CAND.
Despite protests from The Cong players, Nho went to the sideline to consult VAR. However, he upheld his initial decision to award the penalty to the visiting team. Midfielder Reynolds then converted the penalty, giving PVF-CAND the lead.
The Cong managed to salvage a point in the 77th minute when midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien scored the equalizer, making the final score 1-1. This result kept The Cong in second place, but the club submitted a formal complaint to the VFF after the match.
On the morning of 27/5, the VFF issued an official response to The Cong, confirming that Nho's penalty call was incorrect. The federation stated that it would temporarily suspend the referee, preventing him from officiating in upcoming rounds.
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Trong tai Tran Ngoc Nho dieu hanh tran dau The Cong - PVF-CAND o vong 24 V-League 2025-2026, tren san Hang Day, ngay 22/5. Anh: VPF
Tran Ngoc Nho, 38, hails from Tien Giang. He gained notoriety when player Ngo Anh Vu of Binh Thuan chased and punched him during a 2023 play-off match for promotion to the First Division against Vinh Phuc. While Nho regularly officiates Vietnam's top football leagues, he has been involved in several controversial incidents.
In the 22nd round of V-League 2022, the Referees Committee determined that Nho had incorrectly awarded a penalty to HAGL in their 1-1 draw against Binh Dinh. He was subsequently suspended for the remainder of the 2022 season.
During the 2023-2024 season, Nho faced another suspension for the rest of the season due to similar violations.
| Coach Van Sy Son fined The VFF Disciplinary Committee also issued a two-match coaching ban and a 10 million dong fine to SLNA coach Van Sy Son. This penalty was for his excessive reactions during SLNA's 1-0 victory over hosts Becamex TP HCM in the 24th round of V-League. The head coach, born in 1972, will miss SLNA's matches against Nam Dinh on 31/5 and PVF-CAND on 7/6. |
Dong Huyen
