Vietnam on Sunday announced the postponement of the 2019 National Football Super Cup showdown between Hanoi FC and Ho Chi Minh City FC for fear of the novel coronavirus.

Hanoi FC won the 2019 V-League 1 and National Football Cup while Ho Chi Minh City FC finished second in the league last season.

The Super Cup game was first scheduled for February 7 at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City.

But it has been called off and may be delayed to February 21 or March 1, according to the organizers Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper and the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF).

The organizers explained that they followed an order by the central government to take measures to curb the possible spread of the new coronavirus, at a time when Vietnam has confirmed seven infections.

Over 300 people have been killed and almost 15,000 have been infected around the world since the first outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

Medical experts have advised the general population to avoid crowds while the Vietnamese government demands that festivals that have not opened be scrapped, as the virus can be spread through close contact or airborne droplets.

The Super Cup winners will receive the trophy, medals, and VND300 million (US$12,988) in cash.

The runners-up will be rewarded with VND200 million ($8,659).

The VPF and Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) have also decided to delay all professional football tournaments in the country to March or April, instead of them kicking off this month.

The 2020 V-League 1 is expected to start on March 7 while the second-tier V-League 2 will commence on March 14.

The National Footaball Cup is slated to kick off on April 3.

The VPF will announce an official schedule next week.

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