Hoang Duc scored in the first match of the first division

In the 87th minute, Hoang Duc jumped high to receive a cross from the left wing, headed the ball into the far corner, beating goalkeeper Vo Ngoc Cuong. The Ninh Binh captain immediately took off his shirt to celebrate, accepting the yellow card from referee Dang Quoc Dung.

Hoang Duc's goal helped Ninh Binh win the opening match of the 2024-2025 national first division season on October 26. It also helped the 1998-born star relieve pressure after leaving The Cong to join Ninh Binh and being criticized for leaving the V-League for money and then playing in the national first division.

Ninh Binh and Khanh Hoa are two opposing economic groups. While Ninh Binh is a "big guy" dominating the transfer market, bringing in a series of "blockbuster" contracts such as goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, defender Do Thanh Thinh, midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc or striker Nguyen Quoc Viet..., Khanh Hoa had to wait until the day the tournament started to have enough funds to participate. This team also fell into serious financial difficulties, was relegated and then fell into the danger of dissolution.

However, at home, Khanh Hoa played bravely, causing many difficulties for the "big" opponent. Coach Nguyen Viet Thang of the away team was "restless" on the sidelines when his players had difficulty finding a way into the opponent's goal. But thanks to a shining moment from Hoang Duc, Ninh Binh escaped. Hoang Duc's header helped the team from the ancient capital get 3 points on the opening day.

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam also contributed greatly, with many excellent saves. One of them was the situation where the Vietnamese-American star dove to block a long-range shot from his opponent, then quickly jumped up to block two consecutive shots from Le Ngoc Hai.

The victory at Khanh Hoa Stadium brought Ninh Binh to the top of the first division table. In the second round, coach Nguyen Viet Thang and his team will return home to welcome Long An on November 3.