Park Hang Seo's protégé scores after... 1 year of drought

Ha Duc Chinh finally got his first goal on the last matchday of the First Division.

Ha Duc Chinh has at last rediscovered his scoring touch after waiting over a year. In the final round of the 2025/26 National First Division played on the afternoon of June 6, the striker born in 1997 scored his debut goal for Bac Ninh, thereby ending a long goal drought and sending a positive signal ahead of the playoff match for a V.League berth.

In their home game against Tre PVF-CAND, Bac Ninh lost 1-3. However, the most striking moment for the Kinh Bac side was Ha Duc Chinh's 71st-minute strike. From a free kick floated into the box, the former Vietnam international leaped high to head the ball into the net, scoring a consolation goal for the hosts.

That was not only Duc Chinh's first goal of the 2025/26 season but also his first time on the scoresheet since dropping down to the First Division. In fact, the Phu Tho-born striker's decline has stretched over several years. His last goal in domestic professional competitions came while wearing Binh Duong's colors against Ha Tinh in the V.League on May 3, 2025, more than a year ago.

Once regarded as one of the most promising forwards in Vietnamese football, Duc Chinh was part of the golden generation of Vietnam's U23 team that finished runners-up at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, won the 2018 AFF Cup, and claimed the gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games. However, his career later failed to live up to expectations. While playing for Da Nang or Binh Dinh, the 28-year-old often received chances but had a modest scoring rate, gradually losing his place in the Vietnam national team.

Even after moving to Bac Ninh, Duc Chinh could not make much of an impact. Throughout the season, he made only 10 appearances, mostly off the bench. The competition in attack limited the former international's chances to shine and placed him under increasing pressure.

Nevertheless, the goal on the final day of the season could become a crucial mental boost for Duc Chinh. Next, Bac Ninh will enter a playoff on June 12 against the second-to-last team in the V.League to fight for a spot in the upcoming season. After ending a goal drought of over a year, the striker born in 1997 is expected to continue shining in a match that is decisive for the promotion ambitions of the Kinh Bac club.