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Minutes after Vietnam’s men’s football team underlined the strides they have been making in recent years with their first ever entry into the quarterfinals of the Asian Games, thousands of delirious fans hit the streets in frenzied celebration, blaring, honking and hooting.
Downtown Hanoi was a scream Thursday night.
The roar that broke out in the city when Vietnam scored a solitary goal in the dying minutes of their match against Bahrain set the stage for what followed.
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9:30 p.m. - At the Hanoi Medical University, students wearing national flag t-shirts linked arms in a circle and chanted celebratory slogans. Photo by Giang Huy |
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9:45 p.m. - Mai Van The, a student, well prepared for the moment with a big national flag and a national flag t-shirt, was ready to join the crowd. Photo by Gia Chinh |
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10:15 p.m. - 45 minutes after the final whistle, people were streaming to the Hoan Kiem Lake, with many parents taking their kids along for the ride. Photo by Giang Huy |
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10:40 p.m. – The streets were flooded with light flares, Vietnamese flags and cheering adults and children. Photo by Gia Chinh |
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11:00 p.m. – The joy was infectious. Jack from Croatia live-streamed the crazy atmosphere at the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square. Photo by Gia Chinh |
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A woman wears a feathered headband with the national colors . Photo by Giang Huy |
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One fan gets all sweaty, hollering into a loudspeaker. Photo by Giang Huy |
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Foreigners join the party, waving the national flag. Photo by Giang Huy |
After the game, broadcaster VOV announced a reward of VND500 million ($4,300) for the players and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a congratulatory message to the team.
Vietnam’s quarterfinal opponent will be Syria, who beat Palestine 1-0 in their round of 16 match.
Watch the tension and excitement in Saigon during the game:
