The Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) Newspaper, organisers of the annual Vietnam Golden Ball Awards, held a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday to announce the list of nominees for the 5 regular categories and one newly-added category - Best Futsal Player. 

Becamex Binh Duong and Ha Noi T&T have overwhelmed the top 20 nominations for Best Male Player with 5 nominees each.  Despite finishing 7^th  in the 2015 V-League, Song Lam Nghe An comes next with 3 players nominated. 

Becamex Binh Duong’s nominees are Anh Duc, Quoc Thien Esele, Trong Hoang, Au Van Hoan and Le Cong Vinh.  Those from Ha Noi T&T are the 2014 award winner Thanh Luong and the best young player in the 2015 V-League Duy Manh, plus Thanh Hao, Van Quyet and Hoang Vu Samson. 

Song Lam Nghe An’s 3 players are goalkeeper Nguyen Manh and midfielders Phi Son and Hoang Thinh.  Can Tho have 2 players on the shortlist - Dinh Tien Thanh and Le Van Thang.

Vo Huy Toan (right) is the only SHB Da Nang player nominated.

Meanwhile, Vo Huy Toan is the only player from SHB Da Nang amongst the nominations for the Golden Ball Award for men, and they have no nominees in the Best Young Male Player or the Best Foreign Player categories.  This is the result of SHB Da Nang's disappointing performance in recent national football tournaments.

In the Best Female Player category of the Golden Ball Award for women, Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi together have 8 out of the 11 nominations.  Amongst the title favourites are last year’s winner Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (Ha Nam), Chuong Thi Kieu and Dang Thi Kieu Trinh (Ho Chi Minh City), and Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet (Ha Noi).

In addition, the organisers announced the list of nominees in the other categories - Best Young Male Player (13 nominations), Best Young Female Player (10), Best Foreign Player (10), and Best Futsal Player (12).

Initiated by the Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper in 1995, the annual Vietnam Golden Ball Awards aim to honour players who have made significant achievements in Vietnamese football during the year in both domestic and international competitions.

The Golden, Silver and Bronze Ball winners will receive cash prizes of 40 million, 30 million and 20 million VND respectively.  The winners in the Best Young Player, Best Foreign Player and Best Futsal Player will receive 20 million VND each.

The 2015 Golden Ball Awards Gala will take place in Ho Chi Minh City on 6 January 2016.