AFC acknowledges refereeing error that denied Vietnam goal in SEA Games women's final loss to Philippines

According to VnExpress, AFC representatives met with Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) President Tran Quoc Tuan in Thailand on Dec. 18. During the meeting, the AFC stated that the decision not to award a goal to Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy was a serious mistake made at a critical moment, with direct implications for the fairness of the final.

The AFC said it would review the incident and take measures to prevent similar errors in future competitions. While no specific disciplinary action was announced, the AFC indicated that the case would be assessed based on the official report submitted by referee supervisor Yongmei Cui, in line with established procedures.

Line referee Chanthavong Phutsavan in the 33rd SEA Games women's football final between Vietnam and the Philippines on Dec. 17, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

Although the SEA Games are organized by the Southeast Asian Games Federation, football competitions and refereeing standards fall under the professional management of the AFC. Any disciplinary measures, if applied, would be determined following the AFC’s internal review process.

The incident occurred in the 29th minute of the final at Chonburi Stadium on Dec. 17. Bich Thuy headed the ball into the net from inside the penalty area after receiving a cross from Ngan Thi Van Su. Despite replays indicating that Thuy was in an onside position, assistant referee Chanthavong Phutsavan flagged for offside, leading Australian referee Rebecca Durcau to disallow the goal.

Football matches at the SEA Games do not use video assistant referee (VAR) technology. As a result, the on-field decision could not be reviewed and remained final.

A screenshot shows Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy was about 2 m from the offside line when she received the ball to score for Vietnam, but her goal was disallowed in the match against the Philippines at the SEA Games 33 women's football final in Chonburi, Thailand on Dec. 17, 2025.