Portrait of striker Thanh Nhan - the decisive scorer for U22 Vietnam

The goal in the 96th minute of the 33rd SEA Games men's football final not only helped U22 Vietnam complete the comeback against Thailand, but also brought the name Nguyen Thanh Nhan to light in the most special way.

In the moment the pressure weighed on each breath, the striker born in 2003 appeared at the right time to make a decisive mark, concluding an emotional match.

Born in Tay Ninh, Thanh Nhan soon showed his football talent and was selected to join the PVF Youth Football Training Center at the age of 10. The important milestone in his young career came at the 2019 National U17 Championship, where outstanding performances helped Thanh Nhan catch the eye of Mr. Philippe Troussier.

A year later, this striker contributed greatly to helping PVF win the 2020 National U17 Championship with 5 goals, affirming the potential of a striker with the instinct to score.

Thanh Nhan's development path is not turned sideways but has gone up step by step. The two First Division Top Scorer titles in 2022 and 2023 are clear evidence of stability and progress.

When given the opportunity in the national youth teams, he often left his mark with important goals, including a free kick in the semi-finals of the 33rd SEA Games, opening the victory over the U22 Philippines.

In the final match of the tournament, Thanh Nhan not only scored, but also showed the qualities of a striker who knows how to wait for opportunities. The goal in the last seconds of the extra time helped U22 Vietnam take a 3-2 lead, becoming the turning point of the final match.

The moment of taking off his emotional celebratory shirt quickly spread on social media, but behind that explosion was a long-term accumulation process, not from luck.

Off the field, Thanh Nhan is known as a private player, who soon stabilized her family life. He got married at the end of 2024 and now has his first daughter. Rare everyday images shared show a simple Thanh Nhan, giving priority to her family after stressful training and competition sessions. To fans, he not only impressed with his performance on the field but also with his calm lifestyle, ripe compared to his age.

The 33rd SEA Games could be a pivotal tournament in Nguyen Thanh Nhan's career, where he was mentioned as a "hero" in an emotional final match.

But for a 22-year-old striker, that is likely just the start. After that decisive moment, a bigger challenge awaits: maintaining form, competing for positions and proving that the goal in the 96th minute was not the only brilliant moment of his career.