Vietnamese player brings a chair onto the field to protest against the referee

The game between STP Food TP.HCM and Trường Giang Gia Định in the third-tier national league became disorderly as an STP Food TP.HCM player carried a chair onto the field to sit in objection to the referee’s reversed call.

On the afternoon of November 5, a rare incident occurred at Tân Hiệp Stadium (Hóc Môn) during the 4th round of Group C in the 2025-2026 National Third Division, when STP Food TP.HCM players suddenly staged a sit-in protest on the pitch against the referee’s overturned decision.

With the match between STP Food TP.HCM and Trường Giang Gia Định tied at 1-1, at the 65th minute the referee initially awarded a penalty to STP Food, but after consulting the assistant referee, he reversed the call and instead gave a dropped ball to Trường Giang Gia Định, which greatly upset the STP Food players.

Disagreeing with the ruling, the entire STP Food TP.HCM team retreated to the technical area, while coach Nguyễn Văn Long loudly argued with the referee team. Some players brought plastic chairs onto the field to sit, while others left the pitch for the locker room, causing a 10-minute interruption in the match.

Only after the match supervisor and organizers held direct talks with the STP Food TP.HCM team leaders did the players return to the field. The game resumed from the 75th minute, with the referee adding 7 minutes of stoppage time at the end.

After the delay, neither side scored again. The muddy pitch due to heavy rain and the players’ shaken mentality resulted in the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Nguyễn Cao Kỳ scored first for STP Food in the 7th minute, before Huỳnh Văn Hải equalized for Trường Giang Gia Định in the 36th minute.

This draw ended Trường Giang Gia Định’s streak of four consecutive wins but they still lead Group C with 10 points. Meanwhile, STP Food TP.HCM temporarily sits in second place with 7 points after 4 matches and is sure to leave a “memorable mark” on this season due to their dramatic on-field protest rarely seen in Vietnamese football.