With his superb skills, Hai, who plays for Hanoi, helped Vietnam win its second AFF Cup last week and finish second at the U23 Asian Cup earlier this year. He was awarded two Labour Orders for his significant contributions to Vietnamese football.
Hai has been named as one of the most anticipated young stars at the 2019 Asian Cup, which is set to run from January 5 to February 1 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Silver and Bronze Balls went to Nguyen Anh Duc (Binh Duong) and Phan Van Duc (Song Lam Nghe An).
In the female category, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (Phong Phu Ha Nam) won the Golden Ball, while Ho Chi Minh City’s Huynh Nhu and Chuong Thi Kieu won the second and third honours respectively.
In futsal, the Golden, Silver and Bronze Balls went to Vu Quoc Hung (Hai Phuong Nam), Ho Van Y (Thai Son Nam) and Pham Duc Hoa (Thai Son Nam), respectively.
At the awards ceremony on December 22, the organisers presented 19-year-old Doan Van Hau of Hanoi with the best young male player award, while Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s Nguyen Cong Phuong was named favourite player of the year.
The best foreign player award belonged to Oseni of Hanoi.
