‘Referee robbed me of most beautiful goal of my career,’ Vietnam player after controversial SEA Games final loss to Philippines

By Sandy Verma On Dec 23, 2025

In the 29th minute of the match at Chonburi Stadium on the evening of Dec. 17, Ngan Thi Van Su sent a well-weighted cross into the Philippines penalty area. Bich Thuy broke between two central defenders and headed the ball down into the right corner of the net.

However, assistant referee Chanthavong Phutsavan raised her flag for offside, and the goal was ruled out.

Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy leaps to head home a fine goal, which was disallowed by the referee during the Vietnam–Philippines final at the 33rd SEA Games at Chonburi Stadium, Thailand, on Dec. 17, 2025. Photos by Read/Duc Dong

“At that moment, I was very surprised. I didn’t know whether I was offside or Van Su was,” Thuy told Read. “We reacted, but nothing could be changed. Once the assistant referee raised the flag, the main referee followed the decision and did not recognize the goal. The Philippines players then restarted play, so we had to drop back to defend and couldn’t protest further.”

After reviewing the incident and confirming she had not been offside, Thuy said she felt deeply aggrieved. She broke down in tears during the medal ceremony and was comforted by teammate Tran Thi Duyen.

The 31-year-old midfielder continued crying throughout the night and was unable to sleep.

“I feel terrible, sad, and full of regret. The referee robbed me of the most beautiful headed goal of my career,” Thuy said. “We fought with everything we had, but we couldn’t defend the gold medal. I want to apologize to the fans.”

The referee stole Bich Thuy's goal — Nguyen Bich Thuy’s disallowed goal in Vietnam’s women’s football final against the Philippines at the 33rd SEA Games, Dec. 17, 2025.

Thuy left her hometown of Quang Ngai in central Vietnam for Ho Chi Minh City at the age of 13 to pursue a football career. She is now one of the most experienced players in the squad and a member of Vietnam’s women’s team that won SEA Games gold medals in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023, as well as the AFF Cup in 2019.

Despite standing just 1.53 meters tall, Thuy is known for her tireless play on the right flank and her frequent runs into the penalty area. She also scored the decisive goal in Vietnam’s 2–1 win over Taiwan in 2022, securing the nation’s first-ever qualification for the Women’s World Cup.

Tran Thi Duyen wiped away tears and comforted Bich Thuy during the SEA Games 33 medal awarding ceremony, on the evening of December 17 at Chonburi Stadium. Photo: Duc Dong

Tran Thi Duyen comforts Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, wiping away her tears during the 33rd SEA Games medal ceremony on Dec. 17, 2025 at Chonburi Stadium, Thailand. Photo by Duc Dong

At this year’s SEA Games, Bich Thuy scored four goals. Before the final, she dedicated the tournament to her late father, who passed away in 2016, hoping he would “guide the way.”

The refereeing decision, however, brought a painful end to her campaign.

The Vietnam women’s national team is scheduled to return home on Thursday on two separate flights, with one group traveling to Ho Chi Minh City and the other to Hanoi.