Football was (and is) a popular sport in Vietnam. The Republic of Vietnam was one of first Southeast Asian nations to join FIFA, and was a founding member of the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games (SEAP), today known as the Southeast Asian Games (SEA). Republic of Vietnam military units often organized football teams from among their personnel to play against other military units or civilian clubs. Such activities helped to maintain morale and boost comradery. Guidons were commonly created to commemorate games, and would often hold pride and place in unit mess halls and headquarters.
Members of the Republic of Vietnam team at the
Southeast Asian Peninsular Games (SEAP) in 1959 with game commemoration guidon.