HCM City, Sept. 27 -- A friendly football match at Thong Nhat Stadium saw Ho Chi Minh City's officials and civil servants take on a squad of local artists, all to toast 50 years of the city's vibrant arts and literature scene while raising funds for Cuba.

Co-hosted by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports and Vietnam Fatherland Front's local chapter, the September 26 match was also meant to celebrate the upcoming municipal Party Congress for the 2025-2030 tenure.

The pitch was packed with amateur players, including artists like Hoang Bach, Nguyen Thai Son, Tuan Milano, and Nguu Degeo facing off against local officials, such as Director of the Public Security Department Lieutenant General Mai Hoang, National Assembly deputy Asso...