National Cup Semi-Finals: After Overcoming The Cong Viettel, Ninh Binh to Face Cong An TPHCM in the Final

On the evening of June 11, both National Cup semi-final matches took place, with Ninh Binh winning 4-1 at home against The Cong Viettel and Cong An TPHCM securing a 4-2 victory away to Thep Xanh Nam Dinh.

Ninh Binh and Cong An TPHCM Advance to the National Cup Final

Entering the highly anticipated semi-final at Ninh Binh's home ground, both Ninh Binh and The Cong Viettel started with high determination. The visitors created the first notable chance when Van Khang fired a diagonal shot in the 9th minute, forcing Dang Van Lam to make a save.

Just two minutes later, Lucao tested the Vietnamese national team goalkeeper again with a powerful strike inside the box, but Van Lam stood firm.

While The Cong Viettel were dominating play, Ninh Binh suddenly launched a sharp counterattack. In the 15th minute, Fred Friday capitalized on a defensive mistake by the visitors before setting up Gia Hung, who slotted home to make it 1-0 for the hosts.

The goal boosted Ninh Binh's confidence. With Hoang Duc's mobility in midfield, the ancient capital side continuously pressured The Cong Viettel's goal. In the 36th minute, from a free kick on the right by Hoang Duc, Quoc Viet rose high for a dangerous header, but Van Viet made a timely save.

Just before halftime, Ninh Binh doubled their lead. In the 43rd minute, Fred Friday delivered a clever through ball for Hoang Duc to break through and unleash a precise shot into the far corner, beating Van Viet. The Vietnam national team midfielder did not celebrate against his former club, but his goal gave Ninh Binh a huge advantage going into the break.

In the second half, The Cong Viettel threw everything forward in search of a comeback. However, they faced an inspired Van Lam. In the 71st minute, the 1993-born goalkeeper made three saves in quick succession. In the 78th minute, Van Lam continued to deny Lucao and his teammates with two outstanding reflex saves.

The Cong Viettel's efforts finally earned them a penalty in the 85th minute when Le Phat fouled Tuan Tai inside the box. From the spot, Lucao beat Van Lam despite the Ninh Binh goalkeeper diving the right way, pulling one back for the visitors to make it 2-1.

But that was all The Cong Viettel could manage. In the final minutes, Ninh Binh added two more goals through Bao Toan and Fred Friday to seal a 4-1 victory.

This win secured Hoang Duc's team a spot in the National Cup final, continuing their impressive journey in their first season since promotion.

In the other semi-final, Cong An TPHCM stunned over ten thousand spectators at Thien Truong Stadium with an explosive first half. In the 19th minute, Raphael Schorr Utzig opened the scoring after a defensive error by Nam Dinh. Just five minutes later, Matheus capitalized on a corner to make it 2-0.

In the 37th minute, Williams Lee headed home to score the third goal for the visitors. Not stopping there, in the 44th minute, Khong Minh Gia Bao also headed past Nguyen Manh, completing the first half with a commanding 4-0 lead for Cong An TPHCM.

After the break, Nam Dinh fought back strongly. In the 72nd minute, Xuan Son scored a spectacular bicycle kick to make it 1-4. In the 79th minute, although he failed to beat Patrik Le Giang in a one-on-one, Xuan Son contributed by setting up Ly Cong Hoang Anh to fire home from distance, scoring the second goal for the hosts.

However, the huge deficit from the first half prevented Nam Dinh from staging a comeback, despite six minutes of added time in the second half. The 2-4 defeat at home meant coach Vu Hong Viet's side missed out on the final, while Cong An TPHCM proudly claimed the remaining ticket to the National Cup final.

Thus, the 2025-2026 National Cup final will be a showdown between Ninh Binh and Cong An TPHCM, two teams that convincingly won their semi-final matches.