Over the moon: Vietnam players and officials celebrate with the trophy after beating Thailand in the AFF Cup final at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok. – AFP
PETALING JAYA: This is for you, Rafaelson Bezerra!
Vietnam lifted the AFF Cup title for the third time after beating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate in the final, but the win was marred by their prized player Bezerra’s freak injury.
The naturalised Brazilian, whose Vietnamese name is Nguyen Xuan Son, fractured his right leg in the 32nd minute of the second-leg match at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Sunday, when he attempted a back pass, but his right ankle struck the ground, causing it to bend and break despite not being challenged by anyone.
All were shocked when he started screaming and he was immediately brought to the hospital for treatment.
But the Golden Dragons wanted something for their teammate who had scored seven goals for them in the tournament and they did just that by beating Thailand 3-2 in the second leg.
Bezerra could not hide his delight and even at the hospital, he had the time to congratulate his mates.
“We are champions and thank you Vietnam for showing love and support. I have received lots of messages, and I want to tell everyone in Vietnam that I will come back strong,” he said on his Instagram page.
Vietnam’s goalscorers were winger Pham Tuan Hai (seventh minute), an own goal from Thai centreback Pansa Hemviboon (62nd) and midfielder Nguyen Hai Long (90th).
Thailand’s goals were scored by striker Ben Davis (28th) and playmaker Supachok Sarachart (64th). The War Elephants’ evening was further compounded by the sending-off of midfielder Weerathep Pomphan in the 75th minute.
Vietnam earlier beat the seven-time winners 2-1 in the first leg at the Phu To Stadium on Jan 2.
After the final whistle in Bangkok, the Vietnam players were full of joy but they did not forget Bezerra as they held his jersey during the title celebrations.
Bezerra claimed the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Golden Boot award in the tournament, and on his behalf, captain Do Duy Manh and vice-captain Nguyen Quang Hai received the awards, holding his No. 12 jersey as a tribute.
Besides the seven goals in five games, Bezerra also made two assists throughout the tournament. His recovery is expected to take six months and he can bet that he will get full support from his club Nam Dinh and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
