Top News

His request quickly attracted attention, with several supporter groups, including Vietnam Golden Star, offering to help.

Over the past year, O’Farrell has been a keen participant in local street celebrations following every victory of the national team.

Having lived in Vietnam for five years, he realizes that national team matches are always a major fixture in local life. Whenever the team wins, the streets are packed with a sea of red shirts and heaving in excitement.

He has followed the Vietnamese national team for years, but only began going to stadiums to watch V.League matches about a year ago. The first game he went to was to see Cong An Ha Noi FC, when he paid VND50,000 (US$1.92) for a ticket. Then, he also started visiting Hang Day and My Dinh stadiums to watch both domestic league and national team matches.

Tom recalls one moment on the evening of May 22, 2022, when he sat drinking beer with friends on the sidewalk of Hanoi’s Ma May Street while watching the 31st SEA Games final. When Nham Manh Dung scored a header in the 83rd minute to help Vietnam defeat Thailand 1-0, everyone around him jumped to their feet.

He says: “Streams of people poured onto Tran Nhat Duat Street with flags, drums, and horns. It was one of the most exciting moments I have ever experienced.”

Though he was born in Britain, home to a globally popular football league, he finds a different kind of appeal in Vietnamese football. He used to watch football back home, but never felt deeply attached to any specific club.

In Vietnam, what draws him in is not just the match itself, but the energy of so many people rallying together behind the national team. Elements such as the suspense in the stands, the excitement on the streets, and the collective celebrations allow him to be an active part of community life rather than just an outside observer.

Richard Harcus, a Scottish football consultant, shares a similar experience.

In late January 2018, he and his wife stood at the Nguyen Hue walking plaza in HCMC to watch the AFC U-23 Championship final. When Nguyen Quang Hai scored a free kick to equalize against Uzbekistan amid heavy snowfall in Changzhou, China, the crowd erupted.

Harcus says: “I felt as though the entire country cheered at once. I cried with joy and felt lucky to have witnessed a slice of history for Vietnamese football.”

He says while many Europeans are accustomed to their decades-long football cultures with established league systems, Vietnam offers a different experience, one filled with the purity and optimism of a developing football nation. Fans genuinely have faith in the team going far, and every achievement can become a historic milestone. For someone in the sport, it is also an opportunity to observe alternative approaches to football development, learn from them, and share expertise, he says.

Richard Harcus in Britain. Photo courtesy of Richard

Scotland, his homeland, has also witnessed numerous milestones in football: It has qualified for the World Cup nine times, for starters. Scottish fans often feel disappointed by the team’s inability to advance further, while Vietnam is still aiming for its first appearance.

One carries the burden of history, while the other is trying to make its own. Harcus and his foreign friends frequently watch games played by Saigon FC and HCMC FC, which helps them make friends, learn some Vietnamese, and understand the local culture better.

For Briton Nathan, 31, his affection for Vietnamese football is largely owed to family ties. He has lived in Vietnam for six years and is married to a Vietnamese woman. He shares his father-in-law’s enthusiasm for football, which gives the two a shared topic to bond over.

While he says the technical skills and resources of Vietnamese football cannot yet match Europe’s, he is greatly attracted by the growing optimism fans place in the national team. His greatest wish is to see Vietnam qualify for the World Cup for the first time. “I want to be here when that day comes.”