2 Vietnamese national team players must pay fines to AFC

The AFC homepage has officially announced the disciplinary penalties for violations at the 2023 Asian Cup. Accordingly, midfielder Le Pham Thanh Long and midfielder Khuat Van Khang both had to pay a fine of 2,000 USD (about 50 million VND) for receiving red cards at the continental arena.

Le Pham Thanh Long came off the bench and was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in Vietnam's 0-1 loss to Indonesia. Khuat Van Khang started and also received two yellow cards in Vietnam's 2-3 loss to Iraq.

According to the AFC announcement, Khuat Van Khang and Le Pham Thanh Long are obliged to pay the fine within 30 days. The AFC also warned that the two Vietnamese players risk facing heavier penalties if they repeat the violation.

In addition to the fine, the duo were also suspended for one match but have already served their suspensions. Le Pham Thanh Long was absent from the match against Iraq in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup on January 24. Khuat Van Khang missed the match between Vietnam and Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on March 21.

At the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team was eliminated early from the group stage after losing 2-4 to Japan, 0-1 to Indonesia and 2-3 to Iraq. Van Khang, Thanh Long and his teammates continued to disappoint when they lost to Indonesia with the same score of 0-1 in the 2 matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March. After this series of poor results, coach Philippe Troussier had to leave.