Vietnam striker given wrong medal after ASEAN Cup title victory

The ASEAN Cup organizing committee presented 37 gold medals to the Vietnam national team during the award ceremony at Rajamangala Stadium on Jan. 5.

However, Linh’s medal had the incorrect inscription “Runners-up” instead of “Champions”.

The error went unnoticed until Linh shared a photo on social media, proudly wearing the medal next to the championship trophy in the locker room. Fans quickly spotted the difference, prompting Linh to notify the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and request a replacement for the medal.

The ASEAN Cup 2024 gold medal features a gold border, a red circle and the tournament logo in the center. The red border is engraved with two stars and the word “Champions”. Silver medals for runners-up are distinctly colored, making the error surprising as medals are typically produced using standardized molds. Linh was the only player to receive an incorrect medal, causing confusion within the team.

The 28-year-old striker is among five Vietnam players to have won the ASEAN Cup twice, in 2018 and 2024, alongside Bui Tien Dung, Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Van Toan.

During this year’s tournament, Linh scored four goals: one each in the 4-1 win over Laos and the 5-0 win against Myanmar in the group stage, and two penalties in the semifinals against Singapore. His performance put him sixth on the all-time ASEAN Cup top scorers list with 13 goals, tied with Thailand striker Adisak Kraisorn and Indonesia striker Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto. In Vietnam, he trails only Le Huynh Duc (14 goals) and Le Cong Vinh (15 goals).

Nguyen Tien Linh’s ASEAN Cup victory medal with the incorrect engraved word. Photo by Facebook/Nguyen Tien Linh

Across his career, Linh has scored 99 professional goals, 74 for his club Binh Duong in 200 matches and 25 for the national team in 59 appearances. He ranks third in Vietnam’s all-time top scorers for the national team, behind Huynh Duc (25 goals) and Cong Vinh (51 goals).