Hai, the nation’s star midfielder, has torn muscles in his left thigh, doctors in Manila said Wednesday. He may have to retire from this year’s SEA Games altogether for his recovery, the national team’s coaching staff said.
Hai was injured during the match against Singapore Tuesday, after a collision with Singaporean centre back Irfan bin Fandi. He was escorted out of the field for a medical check-up, and replaced by midfielder Do Hung Dung in the 22nd minute.
Hai has participated in all major football tournaments this year, including the AFC Champions League’s qualifiers, the AFC Cup, the V-League, the World Cup 2022’s qualifiers and SEA Games, playing a total of 50 games.
Vietnam won its last football match against Singapore by a solitary goal Tuesday night. They had beaten Brunei 6-0, Laos 6-1, and Indonesia 2-1 earlier. In their last Group B match, Vietnam will play arch rivals Thailand Thursday.
Vietnamese men aim to win their first ever SEA Games football gold this year.