Công an TP.HCM ended Ninh Bình's unbeaten start to the 2026/27 V.League 1 season with a 1-0 away win on 25 October, the only goal arriving in the fifth minute of stoppage time. According to Thanh Niên, Olaha Mạnh Đức ran with the ball from his own half, beat a defender and slipped it to Jason Cummings, who finished from close range. According to Tuổi Trẻ, it was Ninh Bình's first defeat of the season.
A patient away side
Coach Arthur Diles was without the suspended Đức Phú and, Thanh Niên reported, started young forward Williams Minh Hoàng ahead of Tiến Linh in a team set up to defend deep and counter. Ninh Bình, with Hoàng Đức and Thành Trung in the starting line-up, had more of the play, but the first half ended 0-0. BongdaPlus noted that goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang and his back line held firm under repeated pressure.
Ninh Bình coach Chu Đình Nghiêm sent on Ngọc Mỹ for Thành Trung at the break, and Quốc Việt later went off injured, per Thanh Niên. Visiting substitute Kevin Yamga had the ball in the net on 84 minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, BongdaPlus reported. The winner, Tuổi Trẻ said, came from a counter-attack.
What the coaches said
Diles told the post-match press conference that a win this late felt very different from earlier victories, according to BongdaPlus. He admitted his side had been pinned back for most of the game, especially before half-time, and said a change to their defensive shape after the break helped. On Cummings, the Australian said nobody can expect a striker to score in every match, adding that he wants to rotate his forwards from game to game.
Nghiêm felt Ninh Bình were unlucky. Quoted by Tuổi Trẻ, he said his team had a clear chance just before conceding, but a poor final pass let the visitors break. One defeat, he added, was no great problem because the road ahead is long.
Công an TP.HCM defender Lê Quang Hùng, a former Ninh Bình player, said that coming back always feels like coming home, according to Bongda24h, which carried a report by Thể thao & Văn hóa.
Six teams within one point
Ninh Bình led the table after round four, BongdaPlus noted, and collected their September awards before kick-off (Ninh Bình's September V.League awards). The defeat leaves them fourth in the KBVN+ standings (Sportmonks data), with Công an TP.HCM fifth on the same 10 points. It was also the second time in a few months that Công an TP.HCM had won at Ninh Bình, after last season's National Cup final, according to Bongda24h.
The top six after round five (KBVN+/Sportmonks data):
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sông Lam Nghệ An | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +6 | 11 |
| 2 | Nam Định | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +7 | 10 |
| 3 | Công an Hà Nội | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 10 |
| 4 | Ninh Bình | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +4 | 10 |
| 5 | Công an TP.HCM | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 10 |
| 6 | Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 10 |
Thanh Niên noted that Ninh Bình striker Lucao has 5 goals and sits second in the scoring chart, yet the hosts could not turn their territorial edge into a goal.
What's next
Ninh Bình will visit Hà Nội FC at 19:15 on 30 October in round six. Tuổi Trẻ points out that it is a reunion for Nghiêm with his former club, where he won eight titles across the V-League, the National Cup and the Super Cup. He called Hà Nội a strong opponent that can beat anyone when the squad is united. Công an TP.HCM will host Đà Nẵng at 18:00 on 1 November; Diles said he never looks beyond the next match and wants his players fully recovered first.
See the V.League fixtures, the V.League table and our round-five preview: Ninh Bình host Công an TP.HCM, Đà Nẵng face Hà Nội with Lê Đức Tuấn under pressure.
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