September 06, 2018 | 22:13 (GMT+7)
Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai among top six Asian Games stars
Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai has been named the top star of the Asian Games expected to shine at the upcoming Asian Cup 2019 in the UAE in January, according to the website of the Asian Football Confederation, the-afc.com.
Hai helped Vietnam reach the semi-finals of the Asian Games (ASIAD) 2018 for the first time.
Attacking midfielder Hai, the ‘Golden Boy’ of a young and exciting generation of Vietnamese footballers, rose to prominence at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, where his five goals helped lead his nation to a runners-up finish in China.
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Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai (left). Photo: motthegioi.vn |
The 21-year-old continued his fine form in Indonesia last month, scoring the only goal in an impressive 1-0 win over eventual runners-up Japan to secure top spot in Group D.
Hai was part of the Vietnam side that then eliminated Bahrain and Syria to ultimately finish in fourth place, although his memories of the tournament will remain bittersweet after missing a penalty in the shoot-out for the bronze medal against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Besides Hai, the website selected strikers Hwang Ui-jo of the Republic of Korea, Wei Shihao of China, Kim Yu-song of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, goalie Mohamed Al-Shamsi of UAE, and midfielders Ikromjon Alibaev of Uzbekistan.
Source: VNA