VietNam Culture: Football Federation

Showing posts with label Football Federation. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

VTV agrees broadcasting rights

Viet Nam Television (VTV) and Viet Nam Cable Television (VCTV) have reached agreements concerning V-League's broadcasting rights after two weeks of negotiations with cable TV provider Audio Vision Global (AVG).

As scheduled, VTV will broadcast live 20 of total 91 matches in the first leg of the national premier football championship, V-League, while VCTV said it will telecast 38 matches.

However, Viet Nam Multi-Media Corporation (VTC) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) have yet to finalise their negotiations with AVG.

Last week, AVG said it had sold V-League's 91 broadcasting rights of first leg matches to local television stations for VND40 million (US$2,000) each.

AVG won a 20-year contract with the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) last December to broadcast V-League matches worth VND6 billion (US$300,000) per year.

AVG, which is licensed to operate a satellite and digital television service, plans to officially launch a 70-channel TV package late this year.

The V-League will kick off on January 23, and Vietnamese fans will be able to watch matches on VTV's channel 3 and VCTV's Football TV.

The national football championship has been a money maker for the VFF since 2004 when VTV paid VND4 billion ($200,000) to broadcast V-League matches.

Under the deal, the VFF and its sponsors take 40 per cent of the fees, while the two participating teams share the remainder. The host team takes 40 per cent and the visiting team 20 per cent.

Footballer banned for quitting

Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF)'s disciplinary committee has banned striker Hoang Danh Ngoc from football for 18 months and fined him VND2.4 billion (US$120,000).

Ngoc will be banned from official matches starting from the first day that he signs a contract with another club.

The 21-year-old said that he wanted to leave after Nam Dinh was demoted to lower First Division, which led to financial problems for the club.

Nam Dinh had not been able to pay Ngoc's salary for a few months.

The VFF said Ngoc breached clause 55 in VFF's disciplinary law.

Due to unilaterally ending his contract before it expired, Ngoc also must compensate Nam Dinh football club for the eight-year training fee, which totals $120,000.

VFF said that Ngoc could appeal the decision with the VFF's appeals committee within seven days. — VNS

Saturday, January 8, 2011

VN Football Federation chief wins AFC seat

The general secretary of the Viet Nam Football Federation, Tran Quoc

Tuan, won a seat on the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee at the 24th AFC Congress that wrapped up on Thursday.

Tuan got 30 votes and was joined by Winston Lee of Singapore (33) and U Zaw Zaw of Myanmar (23). Timor Leste's Francisco Kalbaudi (20) and Indonesia's Nurdin Halid (21) lost out.

The voting was done regionally with each of the four zones getting three members into the Committee.

Liem to compete in the Netherlands

International Grandmaster Le Quang Liem will leave for the Netherlands' Tata Steel chess championship next week.

Master Liem accompanied by coach Lam Minh Chau will compete in the tournament from January 14-30 in Wijk Ann Zee city.

The Vietnamese who is expected to be seeded No 5 will take part in group B against 13 other masters whose FIDE Elo rating around 2,700.

Group A is for contestants selected from the world's top 25, while group C is for masters with Elo rating below that of B Group contestants.

The Tata Steel Tournament is one of the world's most prestigious tournaments, regularly attracting world champions. The winner of group B and C will win promotion for the next tournament. — VNS

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

AFF Cup flop needs sober reflection

by Tien Thanh

HCM CITY — Viet Nam's elimination from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2010 capped a significantly unsuccessful year for national football in the regional arena.

After scaling euphoric heights by winning the AFF Cup in 2008, Vietnamese football has come down to earth, firmly.

After co-hosting the Asian Cup 2007, Vietnamese football experienced considerable progress, culminating in victory at the AFF Cup two years ago.

The next year was also a positive one as the nation's top-tier V-League saw the emergence of former football star, Le Huynh Duc, as a prospective young coach. Duc led Da Nang to a comprehensive win at the nation's top championship.

Meanwhile, Binh Duong made history by becoming the first Vietnamese football club to reach the semi-finals at a continental level competition, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

And then the national Olympic team (Under 23) put in an impressive performance on their way to the finals of the 25th SEA Games in Laos.

However, the momentum of the previous three years was not carried successfully into 2010.

In the last 12 months, there has been no promising result in competitions both at the club and national team level at regional competitions.

False dawn

After beating Thailand to take the AFF Cup 2008, many fans, experts and even the players themselves seemed to take it for granted that Vietnamese football level has surpassed other countries, especially Malaysia, as local clubs hammered Malaysian counterparts at the AFC Cup.

Star striker Le Cong Vinh, who scored the decisive goal in the final two years ago to help the country win the first AFF Cup, and missed out this year because of injury, had predicted that Viet Nam would reach the final before the semi-final matches.

An Olympic defender had also said that Viet Nam would beat Malaysia while an official of the Ha Noi Football Federation, said that Viet Nam had reached a certain (higher) class as a result of a highly-competitive football championship, V-League and exposure to international competitions.

These people, however, did not take into consideration the role foreign and naturalised players play in the V-League. The success of V-League as well as clubs like Da Nang and Binh Duong at AFC Cup can be significantly attributed to players like Argentina's Gaston Merlo, South African Philani or Brazilian-born Huynh Kesley.

After a wonderful start with a 7-1 demolition of Myanmar, the team seemed to adopt the pride of defending champions, choosing to go on the offensive against all teams.

This strategy failed both times, against the Philippines and Malaysia.

For football fans, the losses were salt rubbed into the wound of the SEA Games defeat against Malaysia in Laos last year.

The defeats have re-ignited the debate about using naturalised players, but if we take the long-term view for the benefit of the national team, it is better to focus on building a really professional football environment and creating more opportunities for talented young local players to improve their skills. — VNS

Friday, December 10, 2010

Vietnam, Philippines cruise to semifinals

Referee Chaiya Alee Mahapab of Thailand (3rd L) stops the game as Vietnam's Nguyen Minh Chau (L), Phan Van Tai Em (2nd L), Le Phuoc Tu (3rd R), Nguyen Vu Phong (2nd R) celebrate their victory near Singapore's Agu Casmir (C) and Mohamad Shahril Bin Ishak (R) after their qualifying round match at the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2010 soccer tournament at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday - Photo: Reuters

HCMC – Defending champions Vietnam reached the semifinals at the ASEAN Football Federation Cup/AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, after defeating their archrivals Singapore 1-0 in their final game of the group stage at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium on Wednesday while the Philippines qualified for the semifinals for the first time after drawing goalless with Myanmar at Thien Truong Stadium.

With only one goal from midfielder Nguyen Vu Phong in the 31st minute, Vietnam sent the three-time champions packing right in the group stage of the Southeast Asian championship.

Prior to the game, the Philippines and Singapore have four points each but the Philippines topped the standings of group B thanks to the goal difference. Third-placed Vietnam secured three points from one win and one loss while Myanmar exited from the tournament with two losses. But Vietnam now win the top place of the group.

The Vietnamese side needed a win to ensure their progress to the next round of the tournament while the Lions just needed a draw to keep their hope of reaching the next round alive.

Head coach Henrique Calisto said he believed Vietnam would beat Singapore in the make-or-break game. The Portuguese man said he was pleased with his players from their performance in the regional tournament even though local spectators had raised doubts about the team’s strength.

Part of Calisto’s confidence stems from the fact that Vietnam had held the three-time champions to a 1-1 draw in the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Sonha Cup at the My Dinh Stadium earlier last month.

At the pre-match press conference, Singapore national coach Radojko Avramovic also expressed his strong winning determination on the threshold of the crucial clash between the two sides.

Vietnamese coach Henrique Calisto made some changes in their lineup with goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong, midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang and defender Doan Viet Cuong coming in from the beginning. Meanwhile, midfielder Le Tan Tai did not even make the list due to an injury.

Backed by the enthusiastic support from about 40,000 spectators, Vietnam were on the attack from the start of the game in search for a goal and coach Calisto’s players dominated the ball possession in the first half while Singapore relied on rare counter attacks.

The home side missed a series of chances, the best in the first minutes when Nguyen Trong Hoang’s kick was saved by Singaporean goalkeeper Hassan Bin Abd Sunny from close range in minute five, midfielder Pham Thanh Luong’s kick over the goalpost in minute 13.

The Lions also created some scoring chances in the half but their players also lost all the chances.

The football-crazy local fans waited for 31 minutes into the game to celebrate the hosts’ scoring when Nguyen Vu Phong opened the score with superb kick after receiving the ball from midfielder Nguyen Thanh Luong in the penalty box.

After the break, the Lions increased their pressure in search for an equalizer. Singaporean forwards always troubled goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong and Vietnamese defenders.

Vietnamese players took on the defensive tactic and relied on counter attacks with an aim to protect the score. However, the Vietnamese forwarders also created some scoring chances and their defense resiliently held out to keep a clean sheet.

But difficulties came in the 63rd minute when midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang was sent off with a second yellow card. Ever since, many scoring chances came for the visitors but the Singaporean players failed to convert any opportunities in the remaining time.

In the day’s other match, the Philippines and Myanmar shared the point after a goalless draw. The Philippines also qualified for the semi-finals as a Group B’s runners-up with five points.

Vietnam will meet Group A runners-up Malaysia in the semifinal first leg next Wednesday in Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium and second leg next Saturday in Malaysia.

Group A leaders Indonesia will play Group B runners-up Philippines in the semifinal first leg next Thursday and second leg next Sunday on a home and away basis.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Vietnam, Philippines cruise to semifinals