V.League 1 champions Nam Định FC became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2025/26 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ as Mauro Jerónimo’s side secured a 3-0 win over Lion City Sailors FC on Thursday to guarantee a top two finish in Group B.
Caio César gave the hosts the lead in the 35th minute before Shopee Star of the Match Nguyễn Xuân Son capitalised on a defensive error to score Nam Định’s second in the 61st minute and maintain his side’s perfect record in the competition so far. Xuân Son then hit the third in stoppage time.
The win was Nam Định’s fourth in a row in the competition and the club’s tally of 12 points means Jerónimo’s team can finish no lower than second with one round of matches remaining in the group phase. Lion City Sailors are eliminated.
Nam Định went into the game knowing a victory would be enough to confirm their passage to the knockout phase and Rômulo threatened inside the opening three minutes, thumping his shot over the bar.
That was to prove a rare sight of goal for either side until proceedings sparked into life as the half hour mark approached.
Xuân Son attempted a speculative overhead effort that bounced wide of Ivan Sušak’s right post while Lion City Sailor’s Shawal Anwar had a sight of goal in the 34th minute, cutting in from the left to direct his effort towards goal.
Within seconds, however, the hosts had gone in front. Nguyễn Văn Vĩ fed possession to Caio César from the left touchline and the Brazilian worked the ball onto his right foot to bend a dipping shot from 20 yards out beyond the dive over Sušak.
Two minutes later Percy Tau almost added a second, only to fire into the side-netting moments later as Nam Định increased the pressure.
Lion City Sailors started the second half on the front foot with William Ndenge sending a bobbling effort from distance past the left post of Trần Nguyên Mạnh’s goal seven minutes after the restart.
But the visitors were undone by a mistake in defence that gifted Nam Định the opportunity to extend their lead.
Bailey Wright’s attempted clearance was redirected into Xuân Son’s path by Nguyễn Tuấn Anh and the Brazil-born Vietnam international twisted and turned to evade two defenders to create the space that allowed him to slide a low shot into the bottom corner.
Xuân Son rolled in Nam Định’s third in stoppage time to score his seventh goal in the competition and put the seal on the victory.
Shopee Star of the Match: Nguyễn Xuân Son (#14), Nam Định FC
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