HCM CITY —  At Việt Nam’s Golden Ball Awards, goalkeeper Đặng Thị Kiều Trinh won Best Female Player for the third time, capping the 20-year career of a woman considered one of the best goalkeepers in Vietnamese football history. The goalkeeper announced her retirement after bringing home gold from the 2017 SEA Games. Trinh was part of the squad that brought home gold from the ASEAN biennial sporting event in 2005 and 2009 as well as numerous regional championships and titles.

Midfielder Đinh Thanh Trung won Best Male Player. Trung was instrumental in Quảng Nam FC’s victory in the V-League this year. The 29 year-old player was also key in helping the national team through Asian Cup 2019 qualification rounds.

Other contenders for Best Male Player were Nguyễn Anh Đức (Becamex Bình Dương), Nguyễn Quang Hải (Hà Nội FC), Trần Phi Sơn (SLNA), Đinh Thanh Trung (Quảng Nam) and Lương Xuân Trường (Gangwon FC – a Korean football team playing in the K-league).

Striker Nguyễn Anh Đức, who came in second, is the first domestic player to set the year’s V-League goals record since 2002. The 33-year-old veteran scored 17 goals for his club, one goal more than a record set by Lê Văn Thắng in 2015.

Claudecir Dos Reis won Best Foreign Player. Reis scored 12 goals for his club Quảng Nam. Phùng Trọng Luân won Best Futsal Player. The Thái Sơn Nam player and his teammates came in third in the 2017 AFC Futsal Club Championship.

Nguyễn Công Phượng of HAGL was awarded Most Favourite Player. Despite being a huge fan favourite and a key player of the national squad, Phượng was not among the nominees for this year’s Best Male Player. Đoàn Văn Hậu of Hà Nội FC won Young Male Player of the Year while Nguyễn Thị Vạn won Young Female Player.

The Việt Nam’s Golden Ball Awards is an annual football award for the country’s best performers in the sport during the previous year. Making its debut in 1995, the awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious and sought-after trophies of Vietnamese football. Since 2001, it has also awarded Young Player of the Year, Best Female Player of the Year and Best Foreign Player of the Year. — VNS