On the evening of January 12, Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club won a dramatic victory over Binh Phuoc in the 1/8 round of the 2024-2025 National Cup. The team from the mountain town had Dung Quang Nho's opening goal in the 21st minute, but goalkeeper Phan Dinh Vu Hai made a mistake, creating an opportunity for Cong Phuong to equalize 1-1 before the end of the second half.
Entering the penalty shootout, substitute goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien successfully blocked two shots, helping Hoang Anh Gia Lai overcome Binh Phuoc with a score of 4-3 and win a ticket to the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, coach Nguyen Anh Duc's team accepted to stop at the National Cup front and return to compete in the First Division.
After the match, Cong Phuong and his teammates thanked the few Binh Phuoc fans present at Pleiku Stadium to cheer on their team.
After that, he headed towards Hoang Anh Gia Lai, along with some former teammates such as Minh Vuong and Chau Ngoc Quang to thank the fans of the Mountain City. Although he has parted ways and moved to a new team, the striker born in 1995 still receives great affection from the Pleiku audience.
On his personal page, midfielder Tran Minh Vuong also shared a moment standing next to Cong Phuong with a humorous status: "Can't remember the last time we faced each other...".
Below the comment section, Minh Vuong continued to tease his former teammate: "Cong Phuong kicked the ball in, but Hoang Anh Gia Lai won, which is beautiful."
In the 2024-2025 season, striker Cong Phuong scored 6 goals for Binh Phuoc after 7 appearances, including 4 goals in the First Division and 2 goals in the National Cup.
