 | |
| Full name | Tiền Giang Football Club |
|---|---|
| Short name | Tiền Giang |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Ground | Tiền Giang Stadium |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
| Owner(s) | Tiền Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| Manager |  Hà Vương Ngầu Nại |
| League | Currently not participating in any league |
| 2024 | Second Division, 5th Group B |
Tien Giang Football Club (Vietnamese: Câu lạc bộ bóng đá Tiền Giang) is a Vietnamese football club based in Mỹ Tho, Tiền Giang Province.[1] The club withdrew from the 2025 Vietnamese Second Division before the season began.[2]
History
Founded in 1976 as Tiền Giang Football Team (Đội bóng đá Tiền Giang), managed by the Tiền Giang Department of Physical Education and Sports (later renamed the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism), the team participated in the Cửu Long football tournament for teams in the Mekong Delta region, such as Đồng Tháp, An Giang, etc. From then until the first national championship in 1980, Tiền Giang was always considered one of the representative teams with a football tradition in the region, being one of the first teams to participate in the Vietnamese National Football Championship from the first year and also the origin of many Vietnamese national players.
However, in their very first tournament in 1980, the team tasted their first bitter fruit, becoming the first team to be relegated from the country's top league. It wasn't until the 1987 season that the team returned to the top league. In the following years, the team mainly competed in the First Division and also achieved promotion a few times. In the 2005 season, with sponsorship from Konica Minolta, the team finished as runners-up and earned the right to compete in the 2006 V-League. The team also changed its name to Tiền Giang Football Club (Câu lạc bộ bóng đá Tiền Giang).
Despite having a force of talented young players, many of whom were the core of national youth teams, the team still had inconsistent and unstable match performances, lacking a long-term investment strategy. Despite officially transitioning to a semi-professional model from the 2006 season, with sponsorship from Pomina Steel Company,[3] the team performed poorly and was relegated back to the First Division. In the following years, the team was often involved in scandals such as internal conflicts,[4][5] match-fixing scandals,[6][7] and frequent manager changes.[8] Sponsors came and went, none staying for more than a season.[9] At the end of the 2010 season, the team performed poorly and was relegated to the Second Division.[10] Following this result, on January 27, 2011, the People's Committee of Tiền Giang province issued Decision No. 313/QD-UBND on the dissolution of Tiền Giang Football Club,.[1][11] A new semi-professional team was established, formed from the core of the U21 team and 4 remaining players from the First Division team, reverting to the name Đội bóng đá Tiền Giang (Tiền Giang Football Team), competing in the National Second Division using the slot of the former Tiền Giang Football Club. Since then, Tiền Giang football has experienced many ups and downs, disappearing from the map of top-tier Vietnamese football and always "lying low"[12] in the National Second Division, an amateur football league directly operated and managed by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
According to the leadership of Tiền Giang province, the goal was to bring the team up to the National First Division by 2018,.[13][14] At the same time, efforts were made to rebuild the identity of the Đội bóng đá Tiền Giang to meet the trust and expectations of the fans.[15] However, closing the 2017 National Second Division season, Tiền Giang failed to gain promotion to the 2018 National First Division as expected,[14] as the team was eliminated in the qualifying round, not reaching the final round, finishing 6th out of 8 teams in Group B.[16]
In mid-2017, the People's Committee of Tiền Giang province had a policy to develop the province's sports movement by requesting the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to create a project for the province's sports development (later, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism sought opinions and was approved by the People's Committee to change it to a Football Development Plan for the province). After a period of building and gathering opinions on the draft,[17] in early 2018, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tiền Giang province issued the Tiền Giang Football Development Plan to 2020, with a vision to 2025.[18] Accordingly, Tiền Giang football would be developed in a comprehensive and sustainable direction; focusing on developing grassroots football; improving the performance of the football team, gradually professionalizing football, and developing Tiền Giang football into one of the strong football centers in the Mekong Delta region. However, for some subjective and objective reasons, this plan was not approved by the Tiền Giang Provincial People's Committee.
On February 24, 2018, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tiền Giang province and the Tiền Giang Businessmen Club in Ho Chi Minh City (TGB) signed a memorandum of understanding to support Tiền Giang Football in management, operation of a professional football club, and operating the team and club more scientifically and effectively. At the same time, the Tiền Giang Businessmen Club in Ho Chi Minh City (TGB) would mobilize units inside and outside TGB to support Tiền Giang Football with practical cooperation, promotion, and sponsorship under the motto of mutual benefit. TGB would also coordinate and support events to build and develop the image of Tiền Giang Football.[19] However, for various objective and subjective reasons, this plan was not implemented.
Entering the 2018 National Second Division season, with the encouragement of provincial leaders and the support of TGB and some benefactors,[20][21] the Tiền Giang Football Team set a goal of promotion to the National First Division (V.League 2) in this very season,.[22][23] To prepare for the promotion goal, the team mainly used its own trained young players who had competed in the U19, U21, and National Second Division seasons before[21] and invited some prominent former players from the Thép Pomina Tiền Giang U21 generation that won the 10th Thanh Niên Newspaper U21 Tournament in 2006 in Da Nang, such as Trần Quốc Anh, Huỳnh Phúc Hiệp... In addition, a few out-of-province players from academies like HAGL, Viettel, Bình Thuận... were added. Despite thorough and steady preparation with a long-term strategy, the team still played erratically, not true to form, with some players showing signs of lacking motivation, and even some former players causing conflicts with the team leadership... This caused the team's results to decline, dropping points in some home matches and in matches against weaker opponents. To stabilize the team's situation, in the middle of the second leg, the team leadership decided to terminate contracts and release all players who were undermining the team. After that, although the results improved, the team still did not have enough points to earn a spot in the promotion finals, finishing 3rd in Group B with 13 points,[24] far behind the 2nd-placed team in the group, An Giang, by 09 points. Thus, the Tiền Giang Football Team had a disappointing season despite the high hopes of the local fans, who came to the stadium to cheer enthusiastically in large numbers.
In the 2019 - 2024 seasons, due to difficulties with personnel:[25] most players were young, promoted from the U18, U19 lines, and borrowed from other domestic teams with weak skills and little match experience; a few experienced players were injured; and there were no sponsors... so the team leadership only set the goal of competing for the sake of gaining experience for future seasons.
At the end of the 2024 Second Division season, the team finished 5th in Group B. However, in March 2025, due to difficulties, the team sent an official letter to the VFF asking to withdraw from the 2025 Vietnamese Second Division.[2]
Stadium
Tiền Giang Stadium, located at 1A Phan Lương Trực Street, Ward 6, Mỹ Tho City, is the home ground of the Đội bóng đá Tiền Giang and is managed by the Tiền Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The stadium meets national standards, featuring an athletics track, an electronic scoreboard, and a lighting system.
The stadium has a capacity of about 12,000 spectators,[26] with 2 stands: A (West) and B (East), neither of which has seats installed. In 2008, the stadium was upgraded with a lighting system and an electronic scoreboard (total investment of 14.6 billion VND), along with the running track and the interior of Stand A.
The scoreboard installed is a TRANS-LUX SC-8120-2 model (size 6.35 m x 2.35 m). The lighting system was inaugurated on August 28, 2009,[27] consisting of 4 light masts 38 m high, each holding 30 lamps (total 120 Metal Halide 2,000 W lamps), ensuring an average illuminance of 1,200 Lux. The system has 4 lighting modes (from 300 Lux to 1,200 Lux) to serve training, competition, and live broadcasting, using a separate 400 kVA transformer station.
Club names
- Tiền Giang Football Team: 1976 - 2005
- Thép Pomina Tiền Giang Football Club: 2006
- Giày Thành Công Tiền Giang Football Club: 2007
- SHS Tiền Giang Football Club: 2008
- Tôn Phước Khanh Tiền Giang Football Club: 2009
- Hải Nhân Tiền Giang Football Club: 2010
- Tiền Giang Football Club: 2011 - 2024
Current squad
As of April 2019
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Notable players
Player who won the Best Young Player award while playing for Tiền Giang:
Nguyễn Thành Long Giang - 2006- Nguyễn Thành Long Giang - 2007
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Hà Vương Ngầu Nại
|
| Assistant Manager |
|
| Assistant Manager |
|
Managerial history
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Vũ Trường Giang
|
2005–2006 |
| Nguyễn Kim Hằng
|
2006–2007 |
| Đỗ Văn Minh
|
2007–2009[28] |
| Nguyễn Văn Thịnh
|
2010[29] |
| Đỗ Văn Minh
|
2010 |
| Phạm Văn Rạng
|
2010 |
| Nguyễn Kim Hằng
|
2011 |
| Đỗ Văn Minh
|
2012–2013 |
| Phạm Văn Rạng
|
2013–2023 |
 Issawa Singthong
|
2023 |
| Hà Vương Ngầu Nại
|
2024 |
Domestic records
| Season | League | Position | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | National A1 Championship I | 6th Group A | Relegated to A2 | National A1 Championship was the 1st tier. National A2 Championship was the 2nd tier |
| 1981 - 1982 | National A2 Championship | - | Stayed | |
| 1982 - 1983 | National A2 Championship | - | Stayed | |
| 1984 | National A2 Championship | - | Stayed | |
| 1985 | National A2 Championship | - | Stayed | |
| 1986 | National A2 Championship | - | Promoted to A1 | |
| 1987 | National A1 Championship VII | 5th Group 2 | Stayed | |
| 1988 | National A1 Championship not held | - | - | |
| 1989 | National A1 Championship VIII | Top 18 recognized as "top team" | Stayed | |
| 1990 | National Top Teams Championship I | 6th Group C | Stayed | In 1990, VFF established the National Top Teams Championship (1st tier). A1 (2nd tier), A2 (3rd tier) |
| 1991 | National Top Teams Championship II | Reached quarter-finals | Stayed | |
| 1992 | National Top Teams Championship III | Reached quarter-finals | Stayed | |
| 1993 - 1994 | National Top Teams Championship IV | - | Relegated to A1 | |
| 1995 - 1996 | National A1 Championship | - | Stayed | |
| 1996 - 1997 | National A1 Championship | - | Stayed | |
| 1997 - 1998 | National Second Division 1997-1998 | - | Stayed | In 1997, VFF established the National First Division (1st tier). Second Division (2nd tier) replaced A1, Third Division (3rd tier) replaced A2 |
| 1998 - 1999 | National Second Division 1998-1999 | - | Stayed | |
| 1999 - 2000 | National Second Division 1999-2000 | - | Stayed | |
| 2000 - 2001 | 2000–01 Vietnamese First Division | 6th | Stayed | In 2000, VFF established the professional V-League (1st tier). First Division (2nd tier), Second Division (3rd tier), Third Division (4th tier) |
| 2001 - 2002 | 2001–02 Vietnamese First Division | 5th | Stayed | |
| 2003 | 2003 Vietnamese First Division | 5th | Stayed | |
| 2004 | 2004 Vietnamese First Division | 7th | Stayed | |
| 2005 | 2005 Vietnamese First Division | Runner-up | Promoted to V-League | |
| 2006 | V-League 2006 | 13th | Relegated to First Division | First Division is the 2nd tier of Vietnamese football |
| 2007 | 2007 Vietnamese First Division | 8th | Stayed | |
| 2008 | 2008 Vietnamese First Division | 9th | Stayed | |
| 2009 | 2009 Vietnamese First Division | 10th | Stayed | |
| 2010 | 2010 Vietnamese First Division | 13th | Relegated to Second Division | Second Division is the 3rd tier of Vietnamese football |
| 2011 | 2011 Vietnamese Second Division | 4th Group C | Stayed | End of 2011, Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) was established to organize professional leagues |
| 2012 | 2012 Vietnamese Second Division | 3rd Group C | Stayed | |
| 2013 | 2013 Vietnamese Second Division | 6th Group C | Stayed | Starting from 2013, the National Championship is V.League 1, First Division is V.League 2 |
| 2014 | 2014 Vietnamese Second Division | 1st Group D | Stayed | Reached promotion finals but lost play-off match |
| 2015 | 2015 Vietnamese Second Division | 4th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2016 | 2016 Vietnamese Second Division | 5th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2017 | 2017 Vietnamese Second Division | 6th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2018 | 2018 Vietnamese Second Division | 3rd Group B | Stayed | |
| 2019 | 2019 Vietnamese Second Division | 4th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2020 | 2020 Vietnamese Second Division | 7th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2021 | 2021 Vietnamese Second Division | League cancelled due to COVID-19 | Position reserved | |
| 2022 | 2022 Vietnamese Second Division | 5th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2023 | 2023 Vietnamese Second Division | 5th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2024 | 2024 Vietnamese Second Division | 5th Group B | Stayed | |
| 2025 | 2025 Vietnamese Second Division | - | Withdrew | Withdrew before the season[2] |
Honours
- V.League 1:
- V.League 2:
- Runners-up (1): 2005
- Vietnamese Cup:
- Vietnamese Super Cup:
- Vietnamese U21 National Championship:
- Winners (1): 2006
- Tiền Giang Television Cup (THTG Cup):
- Winners (2): 2012, 2014
References
- ^ a b "Tiền Giang dissolves football club - A necessary action". Archived from the original on 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ a b c "Tien Giang team withdraws from the 2025 National Second Division". Lao Động Newspaper. 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ^ Thép Pomina Tiền Giang just needs to play 'clean'
- ^ Tiền Giang football will start over
- ^ Chaos in Tiền Giang football team: Starting over with the youth?
- ^ Suspicious matches of Tiền Giang Club: Signs of "handshakes"?
- ^ The "gambles" in the Tiền Giang football team
- ^ Tiền Giang changes "general" to change fortune?
- ^ Through the SHS "divorce" from Tiền Giang football: Marrying off the child to merchants
- ^ Hải Nhân Tiền Giang football team must be relegated to the Second Division
- ^ Dissolution of Tiền Giang Football Club
- ^ "The paradox of Vietnamese football (continued): How many other Cà Maus are there?". Archived from the original on 2018-05-24. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
- ^ Striving to bring Tiền Giang Football Team to the First Division in 2018
- ^ a b Tiền Giang football faces the opportunity to gain promotion to the First Division
- ^ Efforts to rebuild the identity of the Tiền Giang Football Team
- ^ Tiền Giang eliminated in the qualifying round
- ^ Joining hands to contribute to the development of Tiền Giang football
- ^ "The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism issues the Tiền Giang Football Development Plan to 2020, with a vision to 2025". Archived from the original on 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- ^ TGB signs memorandum to support Tiền Giang Football
- ^ Participating in the National Second Division, Tiền Giang Club welcomes a new companion
- ^ a b Tiền Giang football team receives "support" in the National Second Division
- ^ With sponsorship, Tiền Giang team sets promotion order
- ^ Tiền Giang football longs to return to its old home
- ^ Tiền Giang finishes the 2018 National Second Division season in third place of Group B
- ^ Tiền Giang team faces personnel difficulties
- ^ Tiền Giang aims for the 7th Mekong Delta Sports Games
- ^ 13th Thanh Niên Newspaper U.21 Tournament Qualifiers 2009: Group F plays under lights for the first time
- ^ "Tiền Giang changes "general" to change fortune?". SGGP. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
- ^ "Coach Nguyễn Văn Thịnh parts ways with Tiền Giang Club". TTO. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
External links