In Round 13 of the V.League 2025-2026, Thanh Hoa FC secured a dramatic 2-1 victory against Ho Chi Minh City Police FC at Thong Nhat Stadium. This was a difficult period for the Thanh Hoa team, yet they all played with courage and dedication to their team. The Thanh Hoa team only registered 17 players, including 11 starters and 6 substitutes. Notably, only 4 players were on the bench for attacking positions, with the remaining 2 being goalkeepers.
With limited personnel, the Thanh Hoa coaching staff devised a special plan for goalkeeper Xuan Hoang. Instead of starting as in the draw against Nam Dinh , Xuan Hoang was registered on the bench, ready to come on as a midfielder, forward, or center-back if needed. After the victory, achieved despite facing difficulties, coach Mai Xuan Hop could not hide his emotion.
The Thanh Hoa coach expressed his gratitude to the players and fans from Thanh Hoa who were present in the stands at Thong Nhat Stadium. Coach Mai Xuan Hop shared the motivational message he conveyed to the players: “I just told them, play football for the love of the fans. Give it your all for the people to see. Play for passion, for the colors of Thanh Hoa. No other team has achieved what Thanh Hoa has done up to this point.”
After that match, Mr. Nguyen Van De, former chairman of Thanh Hoa club, sent a message to coach Mai Xuan Hop to praise the fighting spirit of his former team. He rewarded the entire team with 300 million VND. Mr. De wrote: “Today the team played very well, you led the players to play with the true spirit of the people of Thanh Hoa. I am very proud of you and will donate 300 million VND from the Hop Luc Corporation fund.” Previously, on February 1st, Thanh Hoa also had a dramatic draw against Nam Dinh. Coach Mai Xuan Hop shared: “We went onto the field with only 13-14 players, but the spirit and dedication of the players are absolutely commendable. Regarding the inability to make substitutions during the match, as you saw, some players sprained their ankles but still endured the pain to play with their teammates, some had high fevers but still wore their jerseys and sat with their teammates on the bench, some had knee pain but were still ready to put on their boots to play.”
Without that sacrifice, we would have only had 11 players on the field. That's truly heartbreaking for me as a coach.
"Currently, everyone knows that the Dong A Thanh Hoa club is facing significant financial difficulties following recent incidents. Therefore, I earnestly hope to receive attention and support from benefactors, provincial leaders, departments, and agencies, especially the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, so that the team can overcome this difficult period."
This is a period where Thanh Hoa FC is still waiting for its financial problems to be resolved. Speaking to the press on February 6th, the leadership of Dong A Thanh Hoa FC stated: “Currently, there is no external support for the team. However, the club's leadership and players are still determined to play the match against the Ho Chi Minh City Police team. The entire team departed this afternoon.”
In the face of major setbacks, we sold many personal assets to support the team, but this is not a solution. The players are very determined and dedicated to the people of Thanh Hoa, but during the tense period after Tet, it is very difficult for us to guarantee everything.” Given the current situation, Thanh Hoa Club continues to play with faith and a spirit for the fans. As long as the pressing issues remain unresolved, the team's future is still uncertain.
AFC sends a message to the Football Association of Malaysia.
According to Malaysian media, AFC Secretary General Windsor John emphasized that FAM must resolve its internal issues itself, rather than relying on direct intervention from the AFC. This stance was taken after several member associations in Malaysia, including the Football Association of Malaysia (PBMM), submitted petitions regarding FAM's governance.
Earlier, at the end of January, the entire FAM Executive Committee resigned en masse, paving the way for a restructuring of the leadership. This move came as Malaysian football faced the risk of disciplinary action from FIFA, related to long-standing irregularities in management and player naturalization. The dissolution of the FAM Executive Committee has thrown the Malaysian football system into turmoil. Many affiliated federations and associations have expressed concerns about governance continuity and are pressuring FAM to find a solution to stabilize the situation as soon as possible.
According to Harian Metro, FAM had hoped that the AFC would act as a mediator to help resolve internal conflicts following personnel changes. However, the AFC rejected this offer, asserting that the primary responsibility for working with its members rests with FAM itself. Nevertheless, the AFC will continue to closely monitor developments in Malaysia. The organization is proceeding with the establishment of an independent oversight committee to oversee FAM's governance and election process in the future, ensuring compliance with FIFA and AFC regulations.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/thi-dau-de-khan-gia-yeu-thuong-i796716/
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