The longest-serving former national team custodian Tran Van Khanh acts as national football team assistant coach during the 2008 AFF Cup competition

His tenacity and skill in protecting the goal earned custodian Tran Van Khanh the nickname “spider.”

The holder of a unique record in Vietnamese football history that is likely to stand for a long time, Khanh achieved his all-time great status through a combination of skill, hard work, and picking up tips from football greats that he had the fortune of meeting.

Khanh represented The Cong and the national team for an astounding 14 years, from 1970 to 1984.

Khanh, his older brother Tran Van Vinh, his two younger brothers Tran Van Thanh and Tran Van Trung as well his nephews Tran Tien Anh and Tran Anh Duc have all been prominent players in the country, but Khanh has left the greatest impression on the game by far.

He learned a lot from his first teacher, Vinh, and later completed a five-year training term at the National Physical Training and Sports in Hanoi from 1965-1970.

Khanh also had the good opportunity to be trained for one year by legendary Russian goalkeeper Achimov, who was a big name before Lev Yasin became famous.

Speaking to Thanh Nien recently, Khanh said, “I was taught how to stand and how to move so that I could always be active. I was asked not to fall when the ball was within one meter from me.

“He [Achimov] always stressed simplicity and effectiveness. I was 16 years old then. And once I let the ball roll off my hands. I couldn’t sleep that night because I was afraid I would be discharged from the team.

“The next morning, he called me to meet him alone and said ‘you jump and catch the ball beautifully. But what if it is not effective? It’s a failure.”

In 1970, the National Physical Training and Sports was dissolved and Khanh was planning to apply for a position with Cong An (Police) Hanoi. Unexpectedly, he received a letter from General Vuong Thua Vu asking him to play for The Cong. Khanh became a private in the army.

Fan-tastic

Khanh, who was assistant coach of the national team at the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup in 2002, 2004 and 2008, says, “I was lucky to come to The Cong when the club had a strong team of excellent players in terms of talent and conduct, such as Sy Hien, Quy Thiem, Thai Nguyen Ben, Nguyen Binh, Nguyen Ngoc Son and Do Hai Binh.

“And there are other players of my generation including The Anh (Ba Den), Phan Van My, Bui Xuan Theu, Ngoc Chi, Viet Cau and Vuong Tien Dung. Each of us had our own strengths and contributions that made a good impression on the fans.”

A defining moment in Khanh’s life was a match against Cuba, played on September 2, 1970, Vietnam’s Independence Day.

“Every detail of the match is still clear in my mind. I was a substitute goalie. I came in from the bench in the second half when The Cong had conceded two goals and it was raining.

“Cuba launched relentless attacks. I told myself to play the best match of my life. When Ba Den headed home to pull one goal back and later Viet Cau turned in a pass to make it 3-2, I wiped my face without knowing whether it was tears of happiness or rain drops.”

After that success, Khanh’s talent was recognized and he made big contributions to victories in China and in southern Vietnam at HCMC’s Thong Nhat Stadium in the then A1 national championship (or currently V-League) competition in 1981.

Asked the secret to his success, Khanh smiled. “Ba Den covered 3,000m in 9 minutes 15 seconds and I finished the distance in 10 minutes 25 seconds. Now most players do it in 12- 13 minutes. It’s all because of training.”

Khanh’s long years of service to Vietnamese football has continued to this date, 25 years after he retired from playing the game.

Reported by Thanh Luong