Hoàng Đức's team secured an 18-2 victory ahead of the Lunar New Year celebration.

Hoàng Đức and his teammates wearing Ninh Bình FC colors achieved two overwhelming wins against the Thanh Niên Ho Chi Minh City Club in their recent friendly matches.

During the V-League break to accommodate the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, Ninh Bình FC took advantage of this period to hold two friendly matches to maintain players' fitness and match sharpness.

The Ancient Capital team chose Thanh Niên Ho Chi Minh City Club as their opponent for both games held at their home ground, Ninh Bình Arena. In the first match on February 13th, Ninh Bình FC demonstrated clear dominance by winning 6-1. Fred Friday and Geovane each scored twice, while Lê Văn Thuận and Gustavo also found the net.

In the second friendly on the afternoon of February 14th, Hoàng Đức and his teammates delivered an even more explosive performance. Phạm Gia Hưng shone brightly with 5 goals, Gustavo continued to impress with a brace. Trương Tiến Anh, Lê Ngọc Bảo, Geovane, and Fred Friday each contributed one goal, alongside an own goal from the visiting team. Ultimately, Ninh Bình FC secured an impressive 12-1 victory.

These two outstanding performances somewhat helped the coach and players Head Coach Gerard Albadalejo regain confidence after two consecutive losses against CAHN and HAGL in the V-League. At the same time, this also served as a significant morale boost, preparing the Ancient Capital team to return strongly in the next phase of the season.

After the first half of the 2025/26 V-League season, Ninh Bình FC temporarily holds second place, maintaining stability and closely pursuing the top group. Right behind them is Thể Công Viettel, who are 5 points behind but still have one match in hand, promising to add considerable pressure in the upcoming stretch.

Meanwhile, CAHN has demonstrated the resilience of a true title contender by rising to the top of the standings, leading Ninh Bình by 2 points despite having two matches yet to play. This situation makes the competition in the second half of the season more thrilling than ever.

Notably, the Ancient Capital team will face a major test in March with an away match at Thiên Trường Stadium against Thép Xanh Nam Định, before returning home to face CAHN in a highly anticipated and tense encounter.