The atmosphere before the football match for a place in the semi-finals of the SEA Games 33.

Before the men's football match between Vietnam and Malaysia, outside the Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok, Thailand), many Vietnamese fans arrived early to cheer on our team in this "early final".

A large number of fans came to cheer on the Vietnamese team at Rajamangala Stadium. (Photo: MINH THANG)

Obviously, men's football is the most watched sport among the 56 events at the 33rd SEA Games, and therefore this is also the largest gathering of Vietnamese fans at a SEA Games match to date.

Ms. Dam Thi Minh Nha answers questions from the correspondent of Nhan Dan Newspaper in Thailand. (Photo: Xuan Son)

Meeting us before the match, Ms. Dam Thi Minh Nha said that her group consisted of 17 people from Ho Chi Minh City and Gia Lai, who arrived here on December 9th. Upon arriving at the stadium, her group joined several other groups to form a very large and lively cheering squad.

Ms. Nha said that since arriving here, her group has cheered on many Vietnamese sports teams in various disciplines such as taekwondo, basketball, swimming, badminton, etc. Because they went to watch sports in different places, there were some matches where her group didn't arrive in time, so they had to settle for watching them on television along the way.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Dong and his friends at Rajamangala Stadium. (Photo: Xuan Son)

Meanwhile, many Vietnamese expatriates in Thailand also came to watch the match and brought their families and friends along, such as the family of Mr. Nguyen Phi Ha, CEO of Siam Thai Son Limited Company, and Mr. Nguyen Minh Dong, an expatriate in Thailand and manager of Pho Van restaurant in Bangkok.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Dong said that because his house was nearby, he walked to Rajamangala Stadium and waited for the Vietnamese team from very early in the morning. He said he regularly cheers on the Vietnamese team at the stadium. He hopes that the Vietnamese team will play calmly and win against the Malaysian team to advance to the semi-finals.

Mr. Chung answers questions from a reporter of Nhan Dan Newspaper based in Thailand. (Photo: MINH THANG)

We also met Mr. Chung, whose Thai name is Virayut, who came with his friends to watch today's football match. Mr. Chung said that whenever the Vietnamese football team comes to Thailand to compete in tournaments or friendly matches, he always makes an effort to watch and cheer them on. His house is 65km from the stadium, but despite his busy work schedule, he still invites his friends to come and support the team.

Fans are hoping that the Vietnamese football team will win, showcase Vietnamese spirit, and aim for the SEA Games 33 championship.

Here are some photos taken by the Nhan Dan Newspaper correspondent in Thailand on the afternoon of December 11th:

With a capacity of 50,000 people, it is located within the Hua Mak Sports Complex in Bangkok. Rajamangala Stadium, inaugurated in 1998, initially had a capacity of up to 80,000 due to the installation of many long benches; now, all of them have been replaced with individual seats. (Photo: MINH THANG)

Rajamangala Stadium is fully equipped with modern facilities, meeting international standards, and hosts major sporting events in the region and in Thailand, including football finals. It was also the venue for the 2024 ASEAN Cup Championship match, which ended 2-1 in favor of Vietnam against host Thailand. (Photo: Xuan Son)

Vietnamese fans at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok. (Photo: MINH THANG)

A souvenir shop at Rajamangala Stadium. (Photo: Xuan Son)

Fans buy Vietnamese flags. (Photo: MINH THANG)

Before kick-off, fans had already arrived at Rajamangala Stadium. (Photo: Xuan Son)

XUAN SON - MINH THANG

Nhan Dan Newspaper reporter based in Thailand

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khong-khi-truc-tran-bong-da-tranh-ve-vao-ban-ket-sea-games-33-post929578.html