The father of striker Dinh Bac "reveals" a special coincidence in the names of the two father and son.

Nguyen Dinh Bac not only impressed with his title as the top scorer in the U23 Asian Championship but also moved many people with the family story behind the meaningful coincidence of the name "Ap Bac" and the heroic war memories.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Ap (born in 1977), father of striker Nguyen Dinh Bac, shared an interesting story surrounding the names of him and his son, and the coincidence that has led many to associate them with the historic "Ap Bac" campaign. According to Mr. Ap, the combination of their names to form "Ap Bac" is purely coincidental, but behind it lies a long story connected to war memories and family traditions.

Mr. Ấp recounted that his biological father, Đình Bắc's grandfather, was a Trường Sơn soldier who directly participated in combat in the Tam Kỳ battlefield (Quảng Nam) during the resistance war against the US. During one raid on a strategic hamlet, Bắc's grandfather nearly did not make it back when bombs and bullets rained down intensely.

"I once heard my father recount that while sitting in the bunker, just inches from death, he prayed to his ancestors for protection. After surviving and returning from the battlefield, he named his eldest son Ấp – as a way to commemorate the Trường Sơn campaign," Mr. Ấp recalled.

Not only Mr. Ấp, but also the other children of Mr. Đình Bắc's grandfather were named after memories of their past battles. The second son was named Cấp, to commemorate the rank he achieved in the campaign. The third daughter was named Hoa, symbolizing rebirth and faith in a bright future after the war.

Regarding the name Nguyen Dinh Bac, Mr. Ap affirmed that it had no intention of being associated with the Ap Bac campaign, as many people speculated. "As for Bac's name, it has no connection to the Ap Bac campaign as people are speculating; it's just a coincidence," Mr. Ap shared. He added that his first child was a daughter, named Ha. Six years later, he and his wife had their second child. "Back then, when we had our first daughter, I named her Ha. Six years later, we had our second child, so we were very happy. We thought that if we wanted to name the two sisters to create a connection, the name Nam would be too ordinary, so my wife and I chose Bac."

When Nguyen Dinh Bac returned home after the U23 Asian Championship, his village in Nghe An welcomed him with warmth and pride. Bac's grandmother couldn't hide her emotion when talking about her grandson. She said that Bac resembled his grandfather very much, from his face to his most distinctive feature, his ears.

"He used to love Bac very much. If he were still alive, seeing his grandson achieve such success today, he would surely be very proud," Dinh Bac's grandmother said emotionally when recalling her husband who passed away 13 years ago.

Nguyen Dinh Bac was one of the most outstanding players for the Vietnam U23 team at the recent AFC U23 Asian Championship. The striker from Nghe An scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists, making a significant contribution to the team's historic gold medal victory.

With his impressive performance, Dinh Bac became the first Vietnamese player to win the top scorer title at the U23 Asian Championship – a memorable milestone not only for him personally but also for Vietnamese football. This achievement is considered a major turning point in the young striker's career, opening up many new opportunities at a higher level.

On the evening of January 29th, Nguyen Dinh Bac was once again honored with the "Young Athlete of the Year" award at the 2025 Victory Cup awards ceremony. With his talent, hard work, and a family background rich in tradition, the striker born in 2004 is becoming a great hope for Vietnamese football in the coming years.

Netizens are buzzing with rumors that Dinh Bac bought a 37 billion VND villa that looks like a palace. What's the truth? Linh Trần15:14:48 30/01/2026Dinh Bac is still living in the house where he spent his childhood with his family in his hometown in Nghe An province, and has absolutely no connection to the 37 billion VND villa as rumored online.