Dinh Bac and the paradox of the U23 Asian Golden Boot winner in the V.League

The disallowed goal in the 84th minute against Ninh Binh once again caused Dinh Bac to miss scoring in Vietnam’s highest football competition, even though he had just come off the triumph at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.

In the 84th minute at Hang Day Stadium, during the CAHN match against Ninh Binh, Dinh Bac rushed in at the perfect moment to volley the ball past goalkeeper Dang Van Lam. However, the assistant referee raised the flag for offside. The goal was not counted, and the 2004-born striker left the field once again without scoring.

That moment highlights Dinh Bac’s story in this V.League season even more. After 10 appearances, he has played a total of 737 minutes but still has no goals. Expanding to all competitions, the situation is hardly better: the young forward of CAHN has only scored once, from a goal against Beijing Guoan in the group stage of the Asian Confederation Cup.

The contrast is even clearer when compared to the Golden Boot title at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship that Dinh Bac recently earned. At the youth national team level, he is known for making a difference and delivering in crucial moments. Yet, he has not been able to replicate this success at club level.

Nevertheless, Dinh Bac remains part of the plans. Within Coach Mano Polking’s system, he is trusted as a key component in the attack. In the V.League, Dinh Bac’s playing time is only slightly less than Alan Sebastiao’s (737 versus 771 minutes), showing the young striker’s significant role. The issue is, while Dinh Bac has yet to “open his account,” Alan has already scored 11 goals, becoming CAHN’s most reliable offensive asset.

Not only Alan, but other players like China and Phan Van Duc have also contributed goals despite playing fewer minutes. This has increased the anticipation around Dinh Bac, especially as CAHN needs another consistent goal scorer to keep up in the title race.

The disallowed goal against Ninh Binh might just be another setback in his quest to regain scoring form. However, with the coaching staff’s confidence and the necessary patience, the day Dinh Bac truly breaks through in the V.League is likely only a matter of time.