AFF chooses Supachok's controversial moment to honor the Thailand national team

The much-debated goal by Supachok Sarachat against Vietnam's team has suddenly been recalled, causing a stir among the regional audience just ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026 draw event on January 15.

Before the ASEAN Cup 2026 draw ceremony, the organizers allocated a brief moment to introduce each team with a signature highlight. Notably, Thailand selected the moment when Supachok scored against goalkeeper Nguyễn Đình Triệu in the second leg final of the AFF Cup 2024. This goal had been the center of controversy for over a year, directly related to fair play issues on the field.

Supachok’s goal occurred in the 64th minute of the second leg final in Thailand. At that time, a Vietnamese player was down due to injury, and the red-shirted players deliberately kicked the ball out of bounds to ensure safety, allowing medical staff to attend to the player.

However, during the subsequent throw-in, Thailand’s Ben Davis did not return the ball as per fair play tradition, instead passing directly to Supachok. The striker immediately shot into an almost empty net, making the score 2-1, which shocked and provoked strong reactions from the Vietnamese team.

After the match, Supachok explained that he was unaware of the need to return the balland also expressed doubt about whether the Vietnamese player was truly injured. Although the referee paused the game to consult with the parties involved, the goal was still allowed, leveling the aggregate score at 3-3. This decision ignited a prolonged wave of controversy afterward.

Following the final, on social media, many Vietnamese fans reacted sarcastically, even “voting” for Supachok’s goal in unofficial polls as a negative symbol of sportsmanship.

Nevertheless, the Vietnamese team demonstrated true champion spirit. Unaffected by external distractions, coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad responded with skill and resilience. An own goal by Pansa Hemviboon and Hai Long’s decisive strike in the final minutes helped Vietnam come back to win 3-2 in the second leg, concluding the 2024 ASEAN Cup final with a 5-3 aggregate victory.

The recall of Supachok’s controversial goal after more than a year has only made Vietnamese fans prouder of how their team overcame adversity to reach the top of Southeast Asian football.