HCM CITY (VNS)— Leaders Hoang Anh Gia Lai will take on second-placed SHB Da Nang in the tie of the 16th round.

Fans and media are awaiting the battle of the dugouts as the match will provide an opportunity to see how South Korean coach Choi Yun-kyum fares against stalwart Le Huynh Duc.

Choi is the only foreign coach to have enjoyed success in a league where outsiders usually struggle.

Choi's compatriot Cho Yoon-hwan quit Binh Duong just six weeks following a run of six losses early this season, while Francesco Vital and Marcelo Zuleta failed to steer Long An to safety and had to pack their bags.

Ha Noi T&T, in fourth place with 26 points, will travel to Rach Gia City in Kien Giang Province to take on struggling Kienlongbank Kien Giang, which have lost four games in a row and are second from the bottom with only 12 points.

Third-placed Song Lam Nghe An face neighbors Thanh Hoa, who have won three of their last five matches to snap at the heels of the top four who are virtually out of reach of the other teams.

A win over SLNA could even put Thanh Hoa in the race and offer their fans hopes of a title they have dreamed of for years.

Hai Phong, with no wins in its last six games, will have a chance to stop the free fall this weekend against bottom-ranked Long An.

Xuan Thanh Sai Gon will take on Ninh Binh in a match that both teams would want to win for different reasons.

Three points will keep Xuan Thanh in with a statistical chance of winning the title, while for Ninh Binh it would end a disappointing streak and stop them from dropping to the danger zone.

And the winner of the Becamex Binh Duong and Dong Nai game will escape from the relegation zone. — VNS