Tien Linh gives up penalty kick to Vietnamese-Australian teammate

Despite a goal drought, striker Nguyen Tien Linh still gave up a penalty opportunity to Khoa Ngo as CA TP HCM defeated Dong Nai one-zero in the National Cup quarter-finals.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – On the evening of 20/3, CA TP HCM hosted Dong Nai at Thong Nhat Stadium in the National Cup quarter-finals. The match, largely uneventful, saw a pivotal moment in the 71st minute. Dong Nai's center-back, Huynh Tan Sinh, lost possession to CA TP HCM midfielder Khoa Ngo and subsequently fouled him inside the penalty area. Referee Tran Ngoc Nho promptly awarded a penalty to the home team and issued a red card to the visiting defender.

{"caption_all":"Normally, striker Tien Linh is responsible for taking penalties for CA TP HCM. However, this time, he deferred to midfielder Khoa Ngo. After the match, coach Le Huynh Duc explained that Tien Linh might have felt Khoa Ngo deserved this penalty, so he decided to give it to his teammate.","caption_items":"["",""]"}

From the penalty spot, the midfielder wearing jersey number 26 struck the ball into the center of the goal, effectively deceiving goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong. This marked Khoa Ngo's third consecutive goal, following two previous scores in the V-League.

{"caption_all":"Khoa Ngo, whose real name is Ngo Dang Khoa, was born in 2006 in Perth, Australia. Both his parents are Vietnamese. Developing through the Perth Glory academy, Khoa Ngo began his professional career at 19 years old. He is the first player of Vietnamese origin to play and score in the A-League (Australia's national football league). After 26 appearances for Perth Glory, in early 2026, Khoa Ngo returned to Vietnam to play for CA TP HCM. Standing 1,65 m tall and weighing 65 kg, Khoa Ngo plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger, known for his speed and skillful technique. Despite his consistent stellar performances, this midfielder does not yet hold Vietnamese nationality, which is why coach Kim Sang-sik has not called him up to the national teams.","caption_items":"["","","",""]"}

In contrast to the impressive form of the Australian newcomer, striker Nguyen Tien Linh continued to disappoint. He played actively but has yet to rediscover his scoring touch after 13 consecutive matches without a goal.

The peak of his frustration was missing a clear opportunity in the 90th minute when Khoa Ngo provided a favorable assist, putting him one-on-one with goalkeeper Tan Truong, only for him to shoot wide from close range.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Patrick Le Giang recorded his third consecutive clean sheet. In the photo, Le Giang jumps high to celebrate Khoa Ngo's goal.

Le Giang recently obtained Vietnamese nationality but has not yet been called up to the Vietnam national team. Having previously played for Slovakia's youth teams, he needs to complete the federation transfer procedures to be eligible to play for the Vietnam national team.