Vietnam’s star midfielder questions refereeing after dramatic ASEAN Club Championship final loss

The second-leg final, held in Thailand following a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Hanoi, ended 3-3 after extra time before Buriram won 3-2 on penalties to lift the cup.

CAHN took control in the first half and opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Quang Hai set up Jason Quang Vinh with a backheel pass inside the box.

The Vietnamese club doubled their lead in the 33rd minute after a defensive error by Buriram’s Peter Zulj, who caught Hugo Gomes with a high challenge inside the penalty area.

Following a VAR review, referee Koji Takasaki awarded a penalty, which Leo Artur converted with a shot into the bottom right corner.

Buriram increased pressure in the second half but struggled to break through CAHN’s defense.

In the 74th minute, Martin Boakye’s close-range header was denied by goalkeeper Nguyen Filip.

The breakthrough came in the 83rd minute when Lucas Crispim’s long-range volley deflected to Supachai Chaided, whose miscontrolled touch turned into an assist for Zulj to finish with his left foot into the bottom corner, reducing the deficit to 2-1.

CAHN held firm into stoppage time, where four minutes was initially indicated.

In the final seconds of regulation, CAHN’s Vitao Nascimento launched a counter-attack and released Alan Grafite, who was brought down by Crispim.

The referee blew the whistle to stop play instead of allowing the advantage, prompting strong reactions from CAHN players.

Additional stoppage time was added to account for substitutions and interruptions.

In the seventh minute of added time, Dion Cools earned a free kick 26 meters from goal.

Crispim curled a right-footed shot into the top right corner off the underside of the crossbar to level the match at 2-2.

The goal triggered celebrations from the Buriram squad and coaching staff, as the referee ended the half immediately after the restart.

In extra time, both sides scored a goal each.

Buriram took the lead, but CAHN equalized again, forcing a penalty shootout.

Buriram prevailed 3-2, denying the Vietnamese side their first regional club title.

Speaking to Thai media after the match, Quang Hai questioned the officiating.

“We gave everything on the field today, and I’m proud of that,” he said.

“But I wasn’t satisfied with some of the referee’s decisions, especially in the second half.

“Many calls went against us, and the added time exceeded what was originally shown.

“Still, this is football—we have to accept and respect the decisions."

The loss denied Quang Hai a rare double of winning both the ASEAN Club Championship and the ASEAN Cup in the same year.

He had helped Vietnam’s national team claim the regional title earlier this year, also in Thailand.