HANOI: Football fever gripped Vietnam again on Saturday night as thousands of fans flocked to the streets of the capital Hanoi to celebrate their country’s victory over Malaysia in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship final. Nguyen Anh Duc’s sixth minute volley secured a first regional title since 2008 for Vietnam. The supporters lit flares, waved national flags, blew vuvuzelas and honked car horns in a party atmosphere, a rare sight in the southeast Asian country but one seen three times this year after Vietnamese soccer success. Similar celebrations occurred when Vietnam reached the final of the under-23 Asian Cup in January and again when they reached the semi-finals of the Asian Games tournament in August. Published in Daily Times, December 17th2018.