The foul incident during the match between The Cong and Cong an Ha Noi has left Doan Ngoc Tan injured and Doan Van Hau with a red card. On the evening of 10/9 at Hang Day Stadium, during The Cong's 0-1 loss to Cong an Ha Noi in round two of V-League 2026-2027, midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan sustained an injury following a tackle from Doan Van Hau. Tan was sprinting down the wing, clearing the ball, when Van Hau, approaching from behind, stepped on his right ankle. The 32-year-old midfielder was replaced by Nguyen Van Tu in the 71st minute, and Van Hau received the first red card of his career after the referee reviewed the video.
Despite the severity of the foul, Ngoc Tan holds no ill will towards Van Hau and has received a diagnosis for his ankle injury. Van Hau immediately apologized for the foul. Ngoc Tan expressed a sense of fortune, stating he was lucky not to have planted his right foot, instead falling by inertia, which prevented a more severe injury. "Football sometimes involves collisions beyond a player's control. I don't think Van Hau had any malicious intent", Tan told VnExpress. Following the match, after initial icing and limping into the changing room, Ngoc Tan visited the hospital this afternoon as the swelling subsided. He was diagnosed with ankle ligament edema and is expected to need about four weeks to recover.
The recovery period means Ngoc Tan will miss upcoming club fixtures, though a national team break offers a silver lining. As a result, Ngoc Tan will be absent from The Cong's match against Australia's Melbourne Victory in Group E of the AFC Champions League Two at Hang Day Stadium on 15/9. Fortunately, the V-League will then pause for the national team to convene from 21/9 to 6/10. Tan remains optimistic, noting, "There's still some luck in this misfortune; I will try my best to recover well. The national team will also be gathering soon, so I won't miss many matches for The Cong." If his recovery progresses as planned, he could return to play for The Cong immediately after this break.
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The Cong midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan played in the 0-1 loss to Cong an Ha Noi in round two of V-League 2026-2027, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi on 10/9/2026. *Photo: Hoang Huynh* |
This latest setback adds to a challenging history of injuries for Doan Ngoc Tan, who recently joined The Cong. Doan Ngoc Tan first gained prominence after Vietnam won the ASEAN Cup 2024 in 1/2025, where he was noted for his strong physique and competitive spirit in midfield despite his smaller stature. However, three months later, he suffered a broken right fibula during a training session with Thanh Hoa, sidelining him for the entire 2024-2025 season. Further misfortune struck in 8/2025, when he broke three ribs and developed pleural effusion during Thanh Hoa's 0-1 defeat to Ha Tinh in round three of V-League 2025-2026. After helping Thanh Hoa avoid relegation, the Hanoi-born midfielder moved to The Cong to reunite with coach Velizar Popov. However, he then sustained a knee ligament injury, making the recent match against Cong an Ha Noi his first official appearance for The Cong.
Minh Khue
