Linh makes history as first Vietnamese AFF Cup top scorer

Linh is currently one of the three best Vietnamese strikers on the national team. In his  三 八 caps, Linh has netted  一 九 times, an average of one goal every two matches.

He is still far behind top-placed Lê Công Vinh ( 五 一 goals) and second-positioned Đức ( 二 七 goals) in Việt Nam's all-time scoring leaderboard, but the  二 六-year-old will have many opportunities to narrow the gap in the future. 

First Golden Ball award

Linh's outstanding performances and AFF Cup achievements have made him a favourite to win the Golden Ball award, honouring the best footballer of  二0 二 二, which will be announced in the middle of February.

As well as his international success, Linh was also the second-highest scorer in the  二0 二 二 V.League. The Becamex Bình Dương striker finished the season with nine goals.

His biggest rivals in the race to win the statue are striker Phạm Tuấn Hải and midfielder Nguyễn Văn Quyết, both of champion Hà Nội FC.

Hải finished the season with a tally of ten goals, while Quyết was the best V.League player as voted by the organising board. However, neither of them has done as well on the international stage. 

In  二0 二 一, Linh won the Bronze Ball, behind Nguyễn Hoàng Đức of Viettel FC and Nguyễn Quang Hải of Hà Nội FC.

“At this point, Linh has his biggest chance to bring home the Golden Ball. His contribution to the national team is impressive, and he also shone with the U 二 三s squad, winning the  三 一st SEA Games gold medal,” said pundit Ngô Quang Tùng. VNS