Coach Mai Duc Chung: The old general wrote history

The old general always took responsibility for himself, even though he was not at fault, even though what he did had become history.

“Hurry up, kids, we need to go home and eat, we’re so hungry,” coach Mai Duc Chung said loudly to his students on their way to the medal podium in Morodok Techo after the 32nd SEA Games final.

It was nearly 10pm and the 73-year-old strategist, like a father, was worried about his children. The girls of the Vietnamese women's team had fought a long day in the sweltering heat of Phnom Penh. They were tired. Hungry, he knew.

In the process of learning about the strength of the Vietnamese women's team, and what makes them continuously create miracles, I realized that coach Mai Duc Chung is one of the answers. For many years, the devoted old general has been persistently sticking to the battlefield, where before and now few people want to enter. From the days of the pandemic raging in India to the scorching heat of Cambodia and the cold rain in New Zealand, he still stands there with his silver hair.

Coach Mai Duc Chung once shared, “as a general on the field, no matter the sun or rain, he must suffer with his students”. During the matches of the Vietnamese women's team, he always stands on the pitch regardless of rain or shine, or cold like at the 2023 World Cup. Inside, the players play for themselves, for the country, for the fans and for him. They are afraid of being “scolded by the teacher”, and at the same time do not want to “disappoint the teacher”.

In our conversation a while ago, I mentioned how expectations always rise with performance, and fans often demand good results, regardless of whether it is possible. Coach Mai Duc Chung, who has been coaching for nearly three decades, understands this all too well. But he accepts the challenge. As someone who has always been concerned about Vietnamese women's football, he sees the World Cup as a rare opportunity for development. It is an opportunity for women's football to receive more attention, an inspiration for other girls to pursue the round ball, and also an opportunity for the team to learn and seek progress.

Of course, Coach Mai Duc Chung also tried his best to satisfy the crowd. In the last match, he refused to give up, once again urging his players to move forward. Even though he knew it was impossible, he still did it.

“Kick faster”, “Keep the ball and kick”, “Thuy”, “Linh”… Mr. Chung’s “xe ca” voice echoed from the beginning to the end. And his students heard the teacher’s voice echoing, determined not to give up. Even when they suffered a heavy defeat, they all still ran non-stop, tirelessly chasing the ball and playing with all their hearts.

The evening after the 2023 World Cup officially ended and the Vietnamese women's team prepared to leave New Zealand to return home, the old general picked up his phone and composed a message to post on social media. Always claiming to be from the older generation and not familiar with digital technology, he still tried to write lines without accents, saying "we owe our fans an apology, we hope that fans will continue to support the team in the next tournaments so that women's football can confidently strive to improve, continue to compete and achieve better results in the next World Cup".

In case the Vietnamese women’s team returns to the World Cup in 4 years, perhaps coach Mai Duc Chung will no longer be present on the pitch. However, any further success of the team will have a part of his contribution, the one who laid the first bricks, then created the magnificent castle. And everyone will remember him, from the hoarse shouts to the urging “Hurry up and come home to eat, my children”…

According to VTC