Xuan Manh scored his first goal for the Vietnamese team after 8 years of waiting.

(NLDO) - Since his debut match for the Vietnamese national team in 2018, Xuan Manh had his first chance to celebrate when he contributed to the 3-1 victory over Nepal.

Defender Pham Xuan Manh left a special mark in the 3-1 victory of the Vietnamese team against Nepal, within the framework of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on the evening of October 9.

The Hanoi FC defender scored his first goal for the national team after 8 years of waiting. He made his debut in March 2018 when Vietnam drew 1-1 with Jordan in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers.

During his time playing for the national team, Xuan Manh has played 22 times but this is the first time he celebrated his own goal.

Under coach Kim Sang-sik, Xuan Manh has been on the field more regularly, with 16 matches in the past 2 years, especially in 2024 with 12 matches.

In this match, the game was exciting from the start. Tien Linh opened the score for Vietnam, but Nepal quickly equalized 1-1.

The turning point came at the end of the first half when Hai Long rushed down to face Laken Limbu, who fouled him from behind and received a direct red card and was sent off, helping Kim Sang-sik and his team play with one more player.

It wasn’t until the 67th minute that the advantage materialized. The Nepalese goalkeeper punched the ball right to Xuan Manh’s position, he controlled it for a moment and then decisively shot with his left foot, raising the score to 2-1. At that moment, Xuan Manh celebrated and shouted with emotion

Five minutes later, Nguyen Van Vi sealed a 3-1 victory for Vietnam with a rebound after Hoang Duc's long-range shot.

At the post-match press conference, Xuan Manh expressed: "This is the first goal, I feel very happy and proud after so many years of playing."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/xuan-manh-co-ban-dau-tien-cho-tuyen-viet-nam-sau-8-nam-cho-doi-196251010014116334.htm