Coach Kim Sang-sik "reveals" the shocking reason why he didn't choose Hoang Duc for the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball award.

Coach Kim Sang-sik did not nominate Hoang Duc but chose Quang Hai for the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball award, demonstrating his unique professional perspective based on the player's performance, consistency, and overall contributions over the past year.

Midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc has officially become the winner of the 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball award, concluding an impressive and convincing year in the eyes of most experts. However, according to sources outside the awards ceremony, Vietnam national team head coach Kim Sang-sik did not include Hoang Duc's name on his ballot, instead choosing Nguyen Quang Hai for the top position. This information quickly attracted attention and generated many conflicting opinions among fans.

Regarding the South Korean strategist's decision, many have questioned the selection criteria. However, viewed from the perspective of a coach who is directly working with, succeeding in, and taking responsibility for Vietnamese football, it can be seen that Kim Sang-sik's choice is not based on emotion. On the contrary, it is a well-founded decision, based on the specific context of Vietnamese football in 2025.

This year, the national team did not participate in any major tournaments, with the focus shifting to youth competitions such as the U23 Southeast Asian Championship and the 33rd SEA Games. Meanwhile, at the club level, the V.League and international competitions witnessed increasingly fierce competition between domestic players and high-quality foreign players. It was in this challenging environment that Quang Hai maintained consistent form and made a clear mark on many fronts.

In the first half of 2025, the midfielder born in 1997, along with Hanoi Police FC, achieved a remarkable double: winning the National Cup and securing a bronze medal in the V.League. Notably, in the National Cup final, Quang Hai scored the opening goal, paving the way for the police team's dominant 5-0 victory. That goal not only demonstrated his professional skill but also showcased the composure of a great player at a crucial moment.

Entering the second half of the year, Quang Hai continued to play a pivotal role as CAHN entered the V.League 2025/26 championship race. After 10 rounds, he scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists, helping the team from Hang Day Stadium finish second in the table, just one point behind the league leaders. These numbers reflect Quang Hai's consistency and influence on the team's overall playing style.

Not only did he shine in domestic competitions, the "Changzhou hero" also left his mark in regional and continental tournaments. In the 2024/25 season, he and CAHN won the silver medal in the Southeast Asian Champions League after a dramatic final against Buriram United, where the result was decided only on penalties. In the 2025/26 season, the Vietnamese team advanced through the group stage of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup and reached the round of 16, further solidifying their position on the international stage.

At the national team level, Quang Hai played in 4 matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, scoring 1 goal and providing 1 assist. Notably, in the match against Laos in November, when the Vietnamese team was in a difficult situation, he readily dropped deep to play as a defensive midfielder to help recover the ball, a role rarely assigned to a player like Quang Hai. In total, in 2025, excluding the two AFF Cup finals, Quang Hai played 47 matches and scored 9 goals.

Vietnam U22 team receives a "bonus of 2.5 billion VND", VFF sends a message after winning gold at SEA Games 33. Thanh Yên10:14:38 19/12/2025The Vietnam U22 team staged a spectacular comeback, defeating Thailand U22 3-2 to win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. Immediately after the victory, the team received a bonus of 1 billion VND from the VFF and is expected to return to Vietnam on December 19th.