Who is the Vietnamese-origin Laotian player recently making waves in the V-League?

Despite significant squad damage, Damoth Thongkhamsavath’s two spectacular goals enabled Thanh Hóa Club to shock Ho Chi Minh City Police Club on their home ground at Thống Nhất.

Although facing a serious player shortage, Thanh Hóa Club managed to deliver one of the biggest surprises in this season’s V-League by beating Ho Chi Minh City Police Club 2-1 at Thống Nhất Stadium on the evening of February 8. The key figure behind this emotional victory was Damoth Thongkhamsavath, the young Laotian player who has caught the entire league’s attention.

In a match where his team was clearly the underdog against the host’s expensive lineup, Damoth Thongkhamsavath shone brilliantly with two high-quality long-range strikes. Without needing many chances, the 2004-born player perfectly capitalized on rare moments to secure all 3 points for Thanh Hóa, becoming the unexpected hero of the round.

Born in 2004 in Laos, Damoth has Vietnamese roots as his maternal grandparents are from Quảng Bình and moved to Laos years ago. Thanks to this heritage, he is registered in the V-League as a foreign player of Vietnamese descent, which does not occupy a foreign player slot — a significant advantage for clubs given the tightening foreign player quotas.

At only 22, Damoth is already a familiar face on the Laos national team. He was first called up at 18 and has participated in many regional and continental tournaments such as the SEA Games and the 2024 AFF Cup. Notably, Damoth scored the decisive goal against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, contributing to a historic victory for Laotian football.

Before joining Thanh Hóa Club in March 2025, Damoth was the standout young star in the Laotian national championship. Wearing the Ezra Club jersey, he scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists in 12 matches, playing a crucial role in leading the team to the 2024-2025 title. His impressive performance earned him the “Best Player of the League” award at just 21 years old.

The victory over Ho Chi Minh City Police Club was even more remarkable as Thanh Hóa registered only 17 players for the match, many of whom were not in peak physical condition. Financial difficulties and personnel changes forced the team to make the most of available resources; even backup goalkeeper Trịnh Xuân Hoàng was ready to play as a forward if necessary. In this adversity, Damoth’s double was not only valuable for the points but also symbolized Thanh Hóa Club’s resilient fighting spirit in the V-League.