On March 8, 2000, in the 94th minute of the match against Dong Thap, Vinh Long goalkeeper Ngô Hoàng Kiệt committed a foul against Nguyễn Tấn Thành inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty awarded for the opponent.

Believing that the decision was not correct, the goalkeeper, along with some other Vinh Long players and staff, started chasing the referee without success.

The team then refused to continue the match until it was finally abandoned with the score at 1-1.

Hours later, VFF called an emergency meeting and decided to expel Vinh Long from all competitions and demote them to the Vietnamese Second Division.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.