In the 84th minute, at Hang Day Stadium, Le Van Hung fouled Nguyen Dinh Bac by kicking his left ankle inside the penalty area. Two minutes later, referee Ngo Duy Lan blew his whistle for a penalty after reviewing the video directly.

At that moment, Nguyen Dinh Bac held the ball, seemingly ready to take the penalty, but then had to hand it over to Alan Sebastiao. Captain Nguyen Quang Hai and center-back Bui Hoang Viet Anh approached the Brazilian forward, advising him to give the ball to Bac, but Alan insisted on taking it himself, pushing Viet Anh away.

Cong An Ha Noi forward Nguyen Dinh Bac (red shirt) plays in the 2-0 victory over Thanh Hoa in V-League 2025-2026 round 23, at Hang Day Stadium in Ha Noi on 17/5. Photo: VPF

"Quang Hai and Viet Anh wanted me to take the penalty. I also wanted to, and Alan did too," Dinh Bac said after the match. "We had a disagreement, but as men, there's no issue. The team's achievement is more important."

In fact, Alan is first in the penalty kick order for CAHN. When the forward is absent, Dinh Bac is designated to take them.

Alan had a reason to decline captain Quang Hai's request, having gone 10 matches without scoring in the V-League. The last time the 1998-born forward scored was on 24/2, in a 3-1 victory over Thanh Hoa. Subsequently, his physical condition prevented him from playing five matches due to injury and not completing five other matches.

Meanwhile, Dinh Bac was on a scoring streak, netting 10 goals in six consecutive V-League matches. He also earned the crucial penalty at a time when CAHN was drawing Thanh Hoa 0-0.

Key moments from Cong An Ha Noi's 2-0 victory over Thanh Hoa.

However, the conflict did not escalate. From the 11-meter spot, Alan struck a powerful shot into the left corner, giving goalkeeper Y Eli Nie no chance to save. This goal brought Alan's tally to 15, keeping him at the top of the goal-scoring chart. Immediately after, Dinh Bac actively ran over to embrace his senior teammate in celebration.

This goal secured a 2-0 victory for CAHN against the Thanh Hoa team. Coach Mano Polking's squad also officially clinched the V-League title three matchdays early, with 60 points, 11 points ahead of second-placed The Cong.

This marks Nguyen Dinh Bac's first V-League championship of his career. He has also completed his domestic honors, having won the National Cup 2024-2025 and the National Super Cup 2025 with CAHN.

"We were determined this season after finishing third last season. This championship is completely deserved," Dinh Bac stated. "This title earns us a spot in the AFC Champions League Elite play-offs, and we will strive to reach the group stage."

Against Thanh Hoa, Dinh Bac performed prominently. However, on a rainy day at Hang Day Stadium, he was unlucky, hitting the post in the 75th minute and shooting wide in the 79th minute. The penalty incident also cost Dinh Bac an injury to his left ankle, forcing him to leave the field.

"I felt a lot of pain after being kicked directly on my left ankle," the 2004-born forward shared. "I wanted to play the entire match, but after a few minutes of moving, I couldn't bear it and asked to be substituted. I will need to go to the hospital for a check-up to understand the situation clearly."

Hieu Luong