People light up flares and wave flags on Le Duan Street of District 1 after Tien Linh scored the first goal of the game for Vietnam Friday night.
Vietnam and Thailand meet at the AFF Cup final, with the first leg being at Hanoi's My Dinh Stadium. The second leg would take place in Thailand's Thammasat Stadium on January 16.
People cheered in celebration of Vietnam's first goal against Thailand.
From January 10 to January 16, HCMC has installed several screens along 300 m of roads on Le Duan Boulevard for people to watch the Vietnam-Thailand match. Previously, the city has also installed several LED screens on Le Loi Street for fans to follow matches of the AFF Cup 2022.
People went ballistic upon Vietnam's goal.
"The team played brilliantly today. I hope Vietnam wins!" said Chi Vy, a spectator.
Bui Van Quang holds up a banner supporting Vietnam during the AFF Cup 2018, when Vietnam won against Malaysia 3-2 to snatch the championship.
"We play better than Thailand. Tien Linh scored a brilliant headshot. The opposite team put us in a lot of tough situations, but Van Lam helped us get out of them," said Quang.
People sighed when Thailand managed to equalize the scoreboard 1-1 at the 47' mark. It was the first time that Vietnam let an opponent score a goal during the AFF Cup 2022.
