V. League 1 match postponed after fresh Covid-19 transmissions detected

After Vietnam detected 84 new Covid-19 community transmissions Thursday morning, 11 in the northern Quang Ninh Province and 73 in the nearby Hai Duong, organizers of the top-flight league decided to halt the match this Sunday at Cam Pha Stadium in northern Quang Ninh Province.

"The most important thing right now is community safety," a league representative said.

Authorities in Quang Ninh have since blocked all roads, inter-provincial and intra-provincial waterway traffic.

After the first two rounds, both HCMC FC and Than Quang Ninh FC enjoyed one win and one loss each.

Other matches of the third round this weekend may have to restrict audiences or play behind closed doors.

The initial Covid-19 outbreak caused the V-League to be postponed after the second round last year, forcing VPF and VFF to change the league format by dividing it into two phases and reducing the number of matches from 26 to 20.

After nearly two months, the tournament returned on June 5 before it was postponed again on July 29 due to new Covid-19 resurgences in central Da Nang City. By the end of September, the tournament kicked off the remaining rounds and saw Viettel take home the championship title.

The V-League delay has a great impact on the teams, especially financially. It can also affect the concentration and competition plans of local teams.

Vietnam are expected to attend the 2022 World Cup qualifiers - Asia region, Asian U23 qualifiers, AFF Cup and SEA Games this year.

The nation has recorded 1,635 Covid-19 cases, including 167 active patients and 35 deaths.