At just after 7 AM (Dubai time), Ms. Luong (40 years old, living in the UAE) and her housekeeper traveled from her home to the airport to catch a flight to Saudi Arabia to cheer on the Vietnamese U23 team in the semi-final match of the U23 Asian Championship, which took place at 10:30 PM on January 20th.
"After receiving my visa on Monday afternoon (January 19th), I immediately booked a round-trip flight. If the Vietnam U23 team wins against China U23, we will change our tickets and stay to watch the final match," Ms. Luong told a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper .
Ms. Luong (on the right) before boarding the plane (Photo: Provided by the subject).
Having married a German national and lived in Dubai for nearly 15 years, this is only the second time she has gone to the stadium to cheer on the Vietnamese U23 team in person.
Eight years ago, the woman flew alone from Hanoi to Shanghai and then traveled by bus to Changzhou (China) to support Coach Park Hang Seo and his team.
Despite her busy real estate business in Dubai, Ms. Luong still managed to find time to watch the group stage and quarter-final matches of the Vietnam U23 team in this year's tournament.
Knowing that the housekeeper, who had been withthe family for 15 years , had a passion for football, Ms. Luong decided to invite her along.
"She not only has a passion for football but also a deep understanding of it. The trip to Saudi Arabia is also a way for the family to thank her for her tireless efforts over the years," she shared.
It is known that the travel time between the UAE and Saudi Arabia is 3 hours. It is expected that Ms. Luong will arrive in Jeddah at 12 PM (7 PM in Vietnam) and then travel 30 minutes to the stadium.
The total cost of the trip is estimated at over 25 million VND, with half of that going towards visa fees and airfare. The female fan bought her match tickets online for 100,000 VND each.
"I will wait about four hours before the stadium gates open. If the Vietnam U23 team wins, I will book a hotel room to stay until the final match," the Vietnamese woman expressed.
What excited Ms. Luong the most was the moment she could enjoy the vibrant atmosphere in the area reserved for Vietnamese fans. She was most impressed by the performances of Dinh Bac, Trung Kien, and Khuat Van Khang on the field after the recent matches.
"Although staying until the weekend will incur extra costs, I don't mind the money. I predict that the Vietnam U23 team will win with a score of 2-1," she said.
Reportedly, a group of fans from Hanoi took a flight to Doha (Qatar) for a layover before continuing their journey to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to watch the semi-final match. These fans arrived in Saudi Arabia on the morning of January 20th (Vietnam time).
Duy (second from the left) with a group of supporters before departure (Photo: Provided by the subject).
Speaking to a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper , Duy, a member of this group of supporters, said that he bought his own plane ticket and booked a room at the 5-star Movenpick Jeddah City Star hotel, planning to stay for 7 days to cheer on the Vietnam U23 team in the semi-final and final matches.
Besides his personal belongings, he also brought 120kg of items including pork sausage, sun-dried squid, shrimp paste, etc., to help the players ease their longing for the flavors of home.
This isn't the first time Duy has traveled to West Asia to support the Vietnamese players. He previously went to the UAE to cheer on the Golden Star Warriors at the 2019 Asian Cup.
"The total cost for visa, plane tickets, hotel rooms, food... was about 150 million VND. I brought sesame salt... just in case the food didn't suit my taste," he said.
The semi-final match of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship between Vietnam U23 and China U23 will take place at 10:30 PM today (January 20th) at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/nguoi-phu-nu-viet-moi-giup-viec-bay-sang-saudi-arabia-co-vu-u23-viet-nam-20260120132935542.htm
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