Retired Dutch footballer Edgar Davids Thursday arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to attend the Tiger Street Football tournament where he is the international ambassador.

Davids, who started his career at Ajax Amsterdam, was warmly welcomed by local fans when his flight landed at the city’s Tan Son Nhat Airport.

“I have quite many friends in Vietnam. I hope this will be a successful trip, and I’ll try to eat Vietnamese food,” he said, while delivering signatures and taking photos with the fans.

The Tiger Street Football tournament runs from September 27 to 28, at the 23-9 Park in District 1.

Davids has 74 caps for the Netherlands, scoring six goals, and represented his country once at the FIFA World Cup, and three times at the Euro.

“I came from street football in Amsterdam. The techniques of street football helped me to catch attention from the Ajax’s manhunter recruiters,” he told reporters. “Hence, street football always has a significant meaning to me.”

Street football is a good school to learn football techniques, and it has nourished many of the world’s top players, including Pele, he added.

Davids said he expects to be surprised by Vietnamese players.

“What’s important is you should prove your skills with the ball,” he said.

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Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation (HFF) chairman Le Hung Dung submitted his resignation at the federation’s annual meeting held on  Wednesday.  

Three other people in the federation’s steering committee also asked to resign – General Secretary Duong Vu Lam, Vice Chairman Tran Le Nguyen and member Pham Huynh Tam Lang.

Dung, who is also Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation (in charge of finances), said, “Vu Lam, Le Nguyen and IÂ are too busy with our own business, while Tam Lang is resigning because he is not physically fit.”

Dung was appointed HFF Chairman in 2008 to replace Tran Van Tao. During his term, there was no major uplift in the city’s football futures. In 2009, Ho Chi Minh City Club (formerly called Saigon Port Southern Steel) was relegated from the country’s top-tier V-League to the second-tier First Division.

The city fans thought the city would have no representatives in V-League last season, but Navibank bought the Fourth Military Zone team, making Navibank Saigon the city’s V-League team.

In the 2010 season, HCM City Club did not play well in the First Division while Navibank Saigon struggled in V-League matches. Dung said he would resign if the two teams were relegated, a fate that the clubs managed to avoid.

However, Dung  asked to resign before the federation’s annual meeting in 2010, but his request was refused.

The 2011 season looked brighter for the city’s football with Navibank Saigon finishing eighth position out of the 12 teams in V-League; and more importantly, winning the National Cup. Also, the Xuan Thanh Club managed to be promoted to V-League by finishing on top of the First Division, while HCMC Club managed to stay in the First Division.

Dung said he would still support and stand side by side with the city’s football and call for help from businesses if needed.

Tran Duy Long, HFF Vice Chairman, was appointed to take charge of the position of the chairman for the remaining part of the 2008-2012 term. Tran Dinh Huan was appointed General Secretary and Tran Anh Tu, Vice Chairman.

The city football federation’s steering committee now consists of 11 people: Tran Duy Long, Tran Dinh Huan, Nguyen Hong Pham, Vo Hoang Buu, Tran Quang Hung, Tran Anh Tu, Nguyen Trong Binh, Nguyen Huu Bai, Ho Nguyen, Tran Tuan Anh and Nguyen Vinh Tho.

By Thanh Nien News, with original Vietnamese story by VnExpress 

HCMC –Saigon Xuan Thanh won their first ever National Cup after trouncing V-League runners-up Hanoi T&T 4-1 and qualifying for the AFC Cup for the first time at HCMC’s Thong Nhat Stadium on Wednesday.

Saigon Xuan Thanh players celebrate after receiving the National Cup trophy at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC on Wednesday.

The scoreline was no surprise but the Saigon players, fans and officials will be wishing they could have had this very same result ten days ago when they drew a blank at home to Hanoi on the league’s final day, gifting the title to Danang who join them in the AFC Cup as V-League champions.

Saigon, who finished third in the V-League table and had home advantage, knew this was a great chance to make up for their league heartbreak and avoid ending the season empty-handed.

Hanoi started the game without goalkeeper Duong Hong Son, who failed to recover from injury in time to take his starting berth. Pham Ngoc Tu replaced Son and midfielder Bui Van Hieu came in for Vo Duy Nam.

Brazilian striker Antonio Carlos, Ugandan midfielder Moses Oloya, Cameroonian forward Christian Nsi Amougou and naturalized foreign players Huynh Kesley Avels, Nguyen Rogerio and Dang Van Robert, however, played from the start for the favorites Saigon.

The home side dominated possession and striker Huynh Kesley Alves made the breakthrough after just ten minutes with a fantastic 30 yard free kick.

Antonio Carlos doubled the lead in the 35th minute from Huynh Kesley Alves’ cross. Hanoi had Nguyen Ngoc Duy’s effort ruled out by referee Vo Quang Vinh for handball.

The home side continued to press heavily with their forwards wreaking havoc on the visiting side’s backline but Argentine striker Gonzalo Marronkle surprisingly pulled one back in the 52nd minute.

The visitors faced more difficulties when defender Nguyen Hong Tien was sent off with a second yellow card in the 74th minute. Defender Le Hai Anh netted for Saigon to make it 3-1 in the 76th minute.

Hanoi’s midfielder Nguyen Ngoc Duy also was sent off for his second booking as time was running out and Nguyen Rogerio grabbed his goal in injury time to rub it in.

Saigon lifted the trophy in front of their 5,000 noisy supporters and also pocketed VND350 million. Hanoi T&T netted VND200 million. Losing semi-finalists Song Lam Nghe An and SHB Danang received VND100 million each. The victory also meant the cup stayed in the city after Navibank Saigon’s win last season.

The National Cup attracted 25 teams from the V-League and the First Division, competing in a knock-out format.

The final marked the end of Vietnam’s 2011-2012 football season. The new season will begin in December with the Super Cup match between V-League champions SHB Danang and National Cup winners Saigon XT.

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