A 56-year-old mother from Nam Dinh captured the hearts of netizens with her jubilant celebrations during Vietnam’s matches in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. Yet, she couldn’t hold back tears when striker Xuan Son suffered an injury.

Viral moments of joy

Tran Van Toan, 32, hailing from Nam Dinh but living in Hanoi, shared videos of his mother, Nguyen Thi Ngot, celebrating Vietnam’s football triumphs. Her natural enthusiasm and unfiltered joy quickly made her an internet sensation.

On January 2, Toan uploaded his first video to TikTok, showing his mother jumping in delight when Vietnam scored during the first leg of the ASEAN Cup final against Thailand. Within days, the 30-second clip garnered over 1 million views and even made it to national TV on VTV1.

“My younger sister recorded the video from our home’s security camera and sent it to me. I couldn’t stop laughing, so I posted it to TikTok as a keepsake. I never expected it to go viral,” Toan explained.

In the video, Ngot’s uninhibited dance and cheering warmed viewers’ hearts. When the clip gained traction, she jokingly scolded her children for turning her into an internet star.

Toan followed up with a second video of a family video call, which quickly amassed over 2 million views. Netizens were charmed by Ngot’s humor and authenticity, describing her as “Vietnam’s happiest fan.”

Solo cheering and heartfelt moments

On January 5, during the second leg of the ASEAN Cup final, Ngot watched the match alone at home. Her eldest son had gone out with friends, while her daughter-in-law was teaching the children in another room.

Despite being alone, Ngot’s fervent cheering continued. Toan captured her celebratory dance after Vietnam’s victory, posting it online with the caption: “Finals dance – Vietnam is the champion.”

The clip resonated deeply with viewers, many sharing their own family stories. One commenter joked, “My mom once banged two pot lids together to celebrate, and now none of the lids fit the pots anymore.”

Others applauded Ngot’s passion:

“I laughed so hard watching this! You’re amazing!”

“This is the happiest fan in Vietnam!”

“Her love for football shows how deep our patriotism runs.”

Yet, some expressed sympathy, calling her the “loneliest fan” for watching the match alone. Toan clarified, “Mom lives with my eldest brother. On match day, he went out with friends, and my sister-in-law was busy. Mom was alone in the living room, but she loves watching Vietnam play, knowing all the schedules and team updates better than us sons!”

Passionate and emotional

For Ngot, football is not just entertainment - it’s a deep-seated passion. She admitted to feeling every high and low of Vietnam’s matches.

“If Vietnam had lost, I would’ve smashed the TV,” she confessed. “When Xuan Son Ngot injured, I bit my nails and teared up.”

In the final moments of the match, Ngot knelt down, praying for Vietnam to score again. When Hai Long sealed the 3-2 victory, her joy was so overwhelming she almost fainted.

Her family appreciates how football brings her happiness. “Our father passed away in 2008. Mom raised us four siblings alone. We love and respect her deeply, and we’re glad she finds such joy in her love for football,” Toan said.

Ngoc Lai