The men's national association football teams of Vietnam and the China PR played a match on 1 February 2022 as part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification â AFC third round. In this match, Vietnam surprisingly won 3âÂÂ1 right on their home field to make China no longer have a chance to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with goals from Há» Tấn Tài in the 9th minute, Nguyá» n Tiến Linh in the 16th minute and Phan VÃÂn ÃÂức in the 76th minute. The result of the match then caused great shock and anger from mainland Chinese football fans, leading to this match being dubbed Hanoi Tragedy () by the Chinese media. And was later regarded as "The most humiliating defeat in Chinese football history".
In contrast to the anger of Chinese fans, the Vietnamese side was delighted with the result of this match, as it not only ended a losing streak against their opponents since their first meeting in 1997, but also helped Vietnam become the first national football team in Southeast Asia to win a match in the third qualifying round of the World Cup. As the match also took place on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year of both countries, this victory became even more meaningful and brought great joy to the Vietnamese people on New Year's Day. However, both teams were unable to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as they were both at the bottom of the final standings.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification â AFC third round was played from 2 September 2021 to 29 March 2022. The twelve teams that advanced from the second round (the seven group winners excluding Qatar and the five best group runners-up) were divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the two third-placed teams advanced to the fourth round. The first leg match between Vietnam and China took place on October 28, 2021 at the Shajah Stadium in the UAE. At the time of this match, the qualifying round had gone through 7 rounds.
This match will be the eighth time the two teams have faced each other, since their first meeting in 1997. In all previous encounters, China has always had the absolute advantage in terms of head-to-head record, winning all seven matches. At the same time, the match will take place on the first day of the traditional Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays in the cultures of both countries.
The match between Vietnam and China will take place on February 1, 2022, coinciding with the first day of the Lunar New Year â an occasion of special significance in Vietnamese culture. This is the eighth match of the Vietnam team in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Asia, and the first time Vietnam has participated in the final qualifying round of a World Cup.
To reach the third qualifying round, the Vietnamese team performed impressively in the second qualifying round when they were in Group G with the UAE, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Under the guidance of coach Park Hang-seo, the team won 17 points after 8 matches, ranked second in the group and was one of the five best second-placed teams, thereby winning the right to enter the third qualifying round. This is considered a historic milestone for Vietnamese football, when for the first time the national team advanced to the final qualifying round of the Asian region. However, when entering the third qualifying round, the Vietnamese team had to face the top opponents in the continent. The team was in Group B, along with Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Oman and China. After the first seven matches before the match against China, the Vietnamese team lost all, did not gain any points, scored 4 goals and conceded 16 goals. Although they left some marks such as the resilient away match against Japan (lost 0âÂÂ1) or caused difficulties for Saudi Arabia at Mỹ ÃÂình Stadium, the team still failed to show effectiveness in defense and taking advantage of opportunities. Despite this, coach Park Hang-seo and his players remained determined to fight for pride and points in the remaining fixtures, especially against regional rivals like China.
In terms of personnel, the Vietnamese team entered the match against China with many difficulties related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Some key players could not participate in the first training sessions due to illness or injury treatment. However, as the match day approached, the team's personnel were basically stable. The match also witnessed the return of fans to Mỹ ÃÂình Stadium after a long period without spectators due to the impact of the pandemic. In addition, public pressure on the team and coaching staff also increased after a series of unsatisfactory results, in the context of increasing expectations from fans after success in regional and continental tournaments in the 2018âÂÂ2021 period.
China entered the match against Vietnam in a less than positive context. After qualifying in the second round as the runners-up in Group A (behind Syria), the Chinese team qualified for the third round. Under the guidance of coach Li Tie in the early stages of the qualifiers, China were expected to compete for a place in the 2022 World Cup, especially after naturalizing a number of players with Brazilian and European roots such as Elkeson, Alan Carvalho, and Tyias Browning.
However, after the first 6 matches in the third qualifying round, the Chinese team only won 5 points, with 1 win (against Vietnam), 2 draws and 4 losses. The performance did not meet expectations, forcing coach Li Tie to resign in early December 2021. Coach Li Xiaopeng was immediately appointed as a replacement in the context that the team needed to refresh its approach and regain the trust of fans. Before this match, the Chinese team was ranked 5th in Group B, 5 points ahead of Vietnam. In addition, the Chinese team also faced many difficulties in preparation, including not being able to play at home due to strict COVID-19 control measures in the country. Instead, they had to play at a neutral venue in the West Asia region throughout the qualifying stage. The match against Vietnam was the first time the team had to travel to Southeast Asia since the beginning of the qualifying round.
In the context of increasing pressure from domestic public opinion due to the unsatisfactory performance in the third qualifying round, the Chinese team is expected to enter the match with great determination to win completely, thereby boosting the team's spirit and somewhat allaying the wave of criticism from fans, especially when the confrontation with Vietnam takes place right on the occasion of the traditional New Year - a time with many sacred meanings and often associated with the hope of a favorable start to the new year according to Chinese cultural traditions.
Compared to China, Vietnam has shown to be completely inferior in terms of direct confrontation achievements with this opponent in the past. This is even more understandable when the rankings on the FIFA rankings between the two teams at the time of this match were quite different, in which, China ranked 76th, while Vietnam ranked 102nd. In addition, China had once qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2002âÂÂthe only time in the country's history. However, they exited the tournament in the group stage without scoring a goal and conceding nine in three matches.
Recent matches between Vietnam and China (before January 2022)
Head-to-head history and statistics show that Vietnam has never won a match against a neighboring team. As of early February 2022, Vietnam had never beaten China in any official match or friendly encounter. The two teams first met in 1997 during the qualifiers for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. That match, held at Thá»Âng Nhất Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, ended in a 3âÂÂ1 victory for China. Since then, they had faced each other six more times in various competitions, and China had won every one of those matches. VietnamâÂÂs heaviest defeat to China came in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification, a 1âÂÂ6 loss on Chinese soil.
Most recently, on October 7, 2021, the teams met in the first-leg encounter of the third-round qualifiers, played at Sharjah Stadium in the UAE, which served as China's home ground due to pandemic regulations. Despite falling two goals behind, Vietnam fought back valiantly to equalize at 2âÂÂ2 in the 90th minute. However, a stoppage-time goal secured a 3âÂÂ2 win for China, extending their perfect record against Vietnam.
Both teams are currently sharing the bottom of the standings after seven matches in the qualifying round. The Vietnamese team is going through a serious crisis, having not won any points in the seven matches they have played. The recent 0âÂÂ4 away loss to Australia not only extended their losing streak, but also officially ended the coach and his team's hopes of advancing as they became the first team to be eliminated from the qualifying round. Meanwhile, the Chinese team is ranked just above them with five more points, but their chances of advancing are only theoretical. With inconsistent form and a difficult schedule ahead, the journey of both teams in this qualifying round seems to have come to an early end.
Before this match, Vietnam faced many difficulties in terms of personnel due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries to some key players. During the training session to prepare for the match, many players of the team, including key players, were unable to participate in training from the beginning due to testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 or being in the process of recovering.
The most unfortunate case on the Vietnamese side was Quế Ngá»Âc Hải, who was playing for Song Lam Nghe An FC at the time. This player was confirmed positive for COVID-19 three days before the match. The second player who will not be able to participate in this match is Trần Phi Sán, who unfortunately got injured in the first training session after returning from Australia. This causes Vietnam to suffer a lot of personnel losses when there are also a number of other players who will not participate due to COVID-19 or are in the process of injury treatment. However, Vietnam still received good news when some important pillars of the team such as Nguyá» n Tiến Linh, Nguyá» n Công Phðợng and Phan VÃÂn ÃÂức were able to play.
China also entered the match with many changes in terms of personnel. During the preparation period for the first two matches of 2022, China continuously received bad news about the players when Elkeson contracted Covid-19 and had to stay in Brazil for treatment, while Fernando had to return to Brazil after being stuck in the Netherlands. The main reasons are said to be related to poor physical condition, international travel issues in the context of the epidemic as well as changes in personnel orientation of the new coaching staff.
Coach Li Xiaopeng, who was appointed to replace Li Tie after the November 2021 match, has called up many new faces to the team and prioritized the use of domestic players or naturalized players born in China. Among them, Wu Lei - a striker currently playing for Espanyol in La Liga - continues to be the biggest hope for China, with his flexible mobility and international experience. However, the Chinese team also lacked some other key players due to injuries and poor physical condition. Having to compete away from home, getting used to the weather, time zone and climate in Hanoi in a short time also significantly affected the team's preparation.
China kicked off the match at 19:00 local time (12:00 ) in front of a crowd of 6,099.
Right from the first minutes, both teams entered the match with high determination, in which the Vietnamese team quickly demonstrated an active and effective playing style. In the 9th minute, defender Há» Tấn Tài opened the scoring for the home team with an accurate header, after a pass from the right wing by captain ÃÂá» Hùng Dà ©ng. This early goal created great momentum for the Vietnamese team to continue to maintain their attacking style. By the 16th minute, the score was raised to 2âÂÂ0 when Hùng Dà ©ng coordinated well with Nguyá» n Tiến Linh, helping this striker finish close to the goal to double the gap.
After conceding two goals in less than 20 minutes, China were forced to push forward in search of an equalizer. However, they struggled to break down the home teamâÂÂs well-organised defence. ChinaâÂÂs only notable chance of the first half came when Dai Wai Tsun free kick went over the crossbar in the closing minutes.
In the second half, China continued to put pressure on Vietnam's field. In the 49th minute, Zhang Yuning put the ball into the opponent's net, but the goal was not recognized because the referee determined it was offside. Although controlling the ball slightly at some points, the away team still did not create many truly dangerous situations. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team maintained a disciplined playing style and took advantage of opportunities effectively. In the 76th minute, substitute Phan VÃÂn ÃÂức scored the third goal for the home team with a decisive long-range shot from outside the penalty area, raising the score to 3âÂÂ0. It was not until the last minute of injury time that China was able to score a goal to reduce the score thanks to Xu Xin. However, this goal was only an honorary goal and could not change the outcome of the match.
In the end, the Vietnamese team won with a score of 3âÂÂ1.
Source:
After match 8, the rankings of the teams in group B are as follows:
Match at the same time
With a 3âÂÂ1 result for Vietnam, Vietnam had their first win in the third qualifying round of a World Cup, and caused China to be eliminated early, despite the fact that they only had 2 matches left. In the match played at the same time between Oman and Australia, the two teams draw 2âÂÂ2, but this result also caused Oman to be eliminated, because the gap between Oman and the top teams could not be closed in the remaining matches.
After the match ended, Vietnamese public opinion was happy because their team was finally able to win a match in the third qualifying round of the World Cup, and it was the first win against a neighboring opponent like China. The victory had a special meaning as it took place on the first day of the Lunar New Year, a time considered sacred in both Vietnamese and Chinese culture. News of the team's victory was quickly reported by Vietnamese state media on all of the country's mass media. The coincidence in timing made the reaction from the Vietnamese public even more enthusiastic. Many fans expressed their joy on social media platforms, considering this result a spiritual gift, or a âÂÂlucky moneyâ from the team to the people of the whole country during the traditional New Year.
At the same time, the Vietnamese team received many compliments and positive reviews from domestic fans, and was also praised by senior leaders of the State and the sports industry. Among them, Prime Minister Phạm Minh ChÃÂnh sent his congratulations to the entire team for their brave fighting spirit and meaningful victory on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, President of the Vietnam Football Federation Trần Quá»Âc Tuấn also expressed his pride in the efforts and progress of the team through each match. In particular, Vietnam President at that time, Nguyá» n Xuân Phúc acknowledged this victory as a meaningful New Year gift for the people of the whole country, while emphasizing the importance of developing football as part of the strategy to enhance the position of Vietnamese sports in the international competitions.
The match was also historic for Southeast Asian football, marking the first victory for a team from the region in the final qualifying round of the World Cup. Previously, the Thailand team had participated in this stage twice in 2002 and 2018 but failed to win either. Therefore, the result of the Vietnamese team is considered a new milestone for regional football. Although there is no chance of advancing, the victory over China has helped the Vietnamese team improve their fighting spirit after a series of unsuccessful matches, especially after the failure at the 2020 AFF Championship. In addition, this result also contributed to a period considered to be a bright spot for Vietnamese football in the first half of 2022. At the same time, the Vietnamese women's team won the right to participate in the Women's World Cup for the first time, the U-23 team won the AFF U-23 Championship for the first time in history, and both the men's and women's football teams win gold medals at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games (taking place in 2022) held on home soil.
Vietnam ended their qualifying campaign with a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Japan, becoming the highest-scoring Southeast Asian team in the final qualifying round to that point, before this record was surpassed by Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers two years later.
The result of the match shocked the Chinese media, and made the country's football fans unable to hide their disappointment, as they had never lost to a team rated lower than them on the occasion of the New Year. This loss marked the first time in history that the Chinese national team had lost to Vietnam at the national team level. The Chinese media called it a "Tragedy in Hanoi" (Chinese: "河堧æ Âæ¡Â"), and at the same time made many public criticisms aimed at the head coach at that time, Li Xiaopeng, as well as the entire coaching staff and players.
The defeat not only eliminated China from the race for a ticket to the 2022 World Cup, but also sparked controversy among the public when it recalled the statement of former national team player Fan Zhiyi in 2013, after a 1âÂÂ5 defeat to Thailand in a friendly match. At that time, this former player had warned that âÂÂThere will come a day when China will lose to VietnamâÂÂ. This comment was repeated by the media and fans as evidence of the long-term decline of Chinese football in recent years. In addition, it also sparked a strong wave of indignation on Chinese social media platforms. Many fans said that the defeat to Vietnam was a clear demonstration of the problems within the national team, even calling it a âÂÂfull exposure of the state of Chinese footballâÂÂ. Some fans called for the current president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) to resign to save the countryâÂÂs reputation, while others blamed the General Administration of Sport of China, even proposing to disband the national team for a comprehensive reform.
For Chinese public opinion, this defeat has dealt a heavy blow to the country's football. This is not only a bad result in terms of sports, but it also reflects the decline in the team's performance and form in recent years. This failure even opened the door to a crisis period for Chinese football in 2022, during which time many clubs in the Chinese Super League had to disband due to lack of funds, many players had to leave the league to seek opportunities at a new team, along with the performance of the teams in this league in continental tournaments seriously declining. More notably, at the end of 2022, coach Li Tie was arrested on corruption charges, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the court for bribery. This incident marked the decline of Chinese football in all aspects, from performance to the ethics of individuals in the sports industry. These effects continued until 2025, when China's national teams suffered consecutive defeats in continental tournaments, culminating in a 0âÂÂ1 loss to Indonesia, despite the fact that the opponent had upgraded their squad with a series of naturalized players from Europe, but the way the Chinese team lost in Indonesia still left countless sighs. Also in 2025, the country's professional football clubs also had disappointing results when both representatives in the AFC Champions League could not continue, and Shandong Taishan even gave up halfway.
More than a year after the match ended, many Chinese football fans recalled the match as an "unwashable stain" in the history of Chinese football, especially after coach Aleksandar JankoviÃÂ was appointed as the head coach of the Chinese national team in February 2023, and some players involved in the match were also implicated in match-fixing suspicions, although no official information has been released. In 2024, a scene in episode 9 of the Chinese TV series Men in Love recreated the scene of the characters watching the match, in which the actors expressed anger and disappointment while watching the match, even left halfway when the home team conceded the third goal. These all show that the negative effects of the match still have a great influence on Chinese public opinion for a long time after the match ended.