Brazil coach openly accuses referee of denying Nam Dinh a goal

Coach Andre Lima insists the referee erred in not granting Nam Dinh a penalty for the handball incident.

Nam Dinh suffered their second consecutive defeat against Gamba Osaka in the AFC Cup C2 group stage, this time losing 0-1 at their home ground, Thien Truong. This loss was somewhat unfortunate for Nam Dinh FC, as in the final moments, the Thanh Nam team created several dangerous chances, including one that should have been a penalty.

In the 86th minute, Ly Cong Hoang Anh’s shot hit the hand of a Gamba Osaka player inside the penalty area, but the referee chose not to award a penalty. Nam Dinh players protested strongly afterward, but the decision remained unchanged. In the AFC Champions League Two group stage, there is no VAR technology, so the referee’s call is final.

After the match, on behalf of the coaching staff, Nam Dinh’s coach Andre Lima stated “The referee denied a clear handball by the opposing player inside the penalty box, which led to a disadvantageous result for the Vietnamese side. Nevertheless, the coaching staff is proud of the players’ performance and is looking forward to the next match.”

For this game, fitness coach Andre Lima was registered as the head coach because Nguyen Trung Kien did not yet have the required AFC certification to be officially registered as head coach, and Vu Hong Viet had resigned and currently serves as Technical Director.

Only one day before this match, Nam Dinh club announced the return of assistant coach Andre Lima. Assistant coach Andre Luiz Athayde Lima, born on February 3, 1971, is Brazilian and has many years of experience working in Asian countries such as Qatar, UAE, and Vietnam.

In the 2023/2024 season, he accompanied the team as the fitness coach and helped the team win the V.League championship. With his dedicated and passionate working style, assistant coach Andre Lima energizes the players during every training session and match.