Thus, Mr. Huynh Nguyen Thanh became the second AFC senior futsal referee of Vietnamese football, after referee Truong Quoc Dung, also from Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, referee Truong Quoc Dung was also the first Vietnamese to be appointed to officiate at the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup held in Colombia. Currently, Vietnamese football has 50 futsal referees; including 3 FIFA referees and 2 AFC senior referees.

Mr. Huynh Nguyen Thanh becomes a senior futsal referee of AFC. Photo: VFF

To become a senior futsal referee of AFC, Mr. Huynh Nguyen Thanh has undergone 3 close assessments by lecturers from AFC: The first time on October 27, 2022 at the match between Thai Son Nam Club and Sahako Club in the second qualifying round of phase II of the 2022 HDBank National Futsal Championship; the second time on December 18, 2022 at the match between Black Pearl United Club and Port ASM Gymnasium 6 Thammasat University Rangsit in the 2022 Thai National Futsal Championship; the third time on June 18, 2023 at the match between Bangkok BTS FC Club and Port Futsal Club in the 2023 Thai National Futsal Championship.

Mr. Huynh Nguyen Thanh started refereeing at the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation in 2009. He has officiated many international tournaments, including the 2018 and 2019 Southeast Asian Futsal Club Championship, the 2022 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship qualifiers in Thailand, and the 2023 Southeast Asian Futsal Club Championship.

HOAI PHUONG