Silent Lonesome Man

I have written a previous article about Turkey and its switching affiliation between the AFC and the UEFA , given its geographical proximity. Yes, there are a lot of questions, but I guess when you wonder, the current campaign for Qatar 2022 may have provided insight. In particular, Vietnam suffered the most in this stage. You know, Turkey and Vietnam are not similar to each other. One is already recognised as a middle-sized power in European football, while one is just beginning to breathe the sky of the last round. The qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup between them is also different: Turkey belongs to the European front, while my country is Asian. Yet after seeing how the run in Asia worked after just two matchdays, one may conclude why the Turks have little optimism to join the AFC. Best seen with the situation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying in Asia were Vietnam's games against Saudi Arabia and Australia at home already. The first match against Saudi Arabia saw th...

As with every football federations across the world, Vietnam's one doesn't ignore the fact it wants the national team to be the face of the nation. Indeed, since its re-establishment in 1989, it has tried to promote football. But there is always something I feel not okay. Seriously, not okay at all. But I have always wondered, had the Vietnamese realised it? Fate from the civil war The situation of Vietnam back in the 20th century was full of oppression, occupation, then internal conflicts. Vietnamese football still flourished in such a bad condition, thanks to the British and French merchants carrying this sport to the country. It wouldn't take long before football finally gained official recognition as one of the country's most popular sport. Yet, it was only the Vietnam War almost began that the country seriously took parts in various international competitions. South Vietnam joined the two first AFC Asian Cup in 1956 and 1960, winning fourth place both times. The So...

Every April 30th, two worlds exist between Vietnamese people. In Vietnam, where the communists gained unified power since 1975, the communists declared the day as "Liberation of the South" and made it a national holiday to observe. The regime also spends millions of dollars each year to celebrate and to demonstrate the might of the communists and how life in Vietnam has changed under the rule of the Communist Party. Some Vietnamese diasporas, mostly in former Comecon or in East Asia, do celebrate alongside their compatriots in Vietnam. Then, there is another world. Every year, the same day since 1975, Vietnamese gather, not to welcome, but to mourn the loss of the Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam, to the hand of the communist North. They have observed the fall of Saigon, first in 1976 and this has become a common practice of Vietnamese diasporas living in Western Europe, North America and Australasia - where the loyalty with the yellow flag and three red stripes remains ...