Nguyen Dinh Bac was named Man of the Match in the game against Cambodia, thanks to his solo effort to open the scoring and a chip shot that sealed the 3-1 victory. His performance propelled him to the top of the Golden Boot race with 5 goals, simultaneously securing Vietnam's spot in the semi-finals as group A winners. After the match, the 22-year-old striker remained humble when asked about his display at My Dinh Stadium on 7/8.

"I have re-evaluated myself after several poor performances," Dinh Bac stated. "I strive to train and put effort into every session. I dedicate today's two goals to the fans who have always believed in and supported me."

Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac celebrates his two goals as Vietnam defeated Cambodia 3-1 in the final group A match of the ASEAN Cup 2026 at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi on 7/8. Photo: Hieu Luong

Dinh Bac scored a hat-trick in the opening 7-0 victory against Timor Leste in Chonburi, Thailand. However, in the subsequent two matches, he started but failed to score. Coach Kim Sang-sik continued to trust the 22-year-old striker to lead the attack against Cambodia, and this time, he seized the opportunity to score.

When asked about his chances in the Golden Boot race, Dinh Bac stated: "I do not set individual goals. Currently, the entire team is focused only on the two semi-final matches, and so am I."

Dinh Bac became the first player for the Vietnam national team to score two or more goals in two different ASEAN Cup group stage matches since Le Huynh Duc in 2002. At that time, Huynh Duc scored two goals each in victories against Cambodia and the Philippines. The then 54-year-old former striker even scored in all four group stage matches, totaling 6 goals.

Match highlights.

According to Sofascore, Dinh Bac also received the highest rating in the victory against Cambodia, with 9,6 points. Besides his two goals, he created three chances for teammates to score and completed three successful dribbles.

However, some teammates still believe Dinh Bac could play better. After the final whistle, Nguyen Xuan Son expressed dissatisfaction with Dinh Bac regarding a late-game situation. The young striker dribbled past two opponents on the left wing but did not cross the ball to Xuan Son, who was rushing into the penalty area. Instead, Dinh Bac cut back and passed to the second line for Nguyen Tai Loc to take a long shot, which went wide of the post.

In the first leg of the semi-finals, Vietnam will play away against the as-yet-undetermined runner-up of group B on the evening of 16/8. The second leg will take place at My Dinh Stadium three days later.

Xuan Binh