Vietnam team waiting for new factor

In preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, coach Kim Sang-sik is still looking for new elements for the Vietnamese team from naturalized players.

On September 19, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Security requesting support for Vietnamese citizenship for Sant Ana Santos Gustavo.

The document clearly stated: "To continue the success of Vietnamese football in the following years, especially towards the World Cup qualifiers, with the goal of realizing the dream of participating in the World Cup of the national men's football team, after a period of monitoring and professional evaluation, it was found that player Sant Ana Santos Gustavo (Brazilian nationality) currently playing as a central defender forSHB Da Nang football club is a player with expertise, talent, suitable for Vietnamese football".

Vietnam team in a practice match with Nam Dinh on FIFA Days in September. Photo: VFF

Based on the proposal of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the proposal of Mr. Kim Sang-sik, in order to utilize and promote sports talents to contribute to the development of Vietnamese sports in general and Vietnamese football in particular, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests the Ministry of Justice to support the procedures for Gustavo to obtain Vietnamese nationality; at the same time, requests the Ministry of Public Security to support the procedures for granting a Permanent Residence Card and Vietnamese nationality to Gustavo.

Gustavo started his career in Vietnam in 2019. He played for Viettel, Saigon, Song Lam Nghe An, Than Quang Ninh, Dong A Thanh Hoa clubs and has recently joined SHB Da Nang. Gustavo and the Thanh team won the Bronze Medal of the 2022 National Cup, won the 2023, 2023-2024 National Cup, won the 2023 National Super Cup and was runner-up in the 2023-2024 National Super Cup.

Looking at Gustavo's achievements, fans can think of a quality player similar to Nguyen Xuan Son. If Gustavo is successfully naturalized, he will be one of the options for the Vietnamese team, strengthening the defense. The Vietnamese team will have an important match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers. Having more naturalized players will help the coaching staff of the Vietnamese team have more solutions.

In early September, Nguyen Xuan Son returned to Vietnam and began training under the supervision of the medical team. Nam Dinh Blue Steel has decided to hire Brazilian physiotherapist Dilson Neto to help Xuan Son return in November.

The return of Xuan Son to the attack and the reinforcement of Gustavo in the defense will help the Vietnamese team be confident in the rematch against Malaysia. Furthermore, we are aiming for the AFF Cup 2026.

This also shows that both VFF and Mr. Kim Sang-sik have plans to find new elements for the Vietnam national team from naturalized players. However, it is important to remember that we are not aiming for mass naturalization but need to carefully consider many factors.

VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan once expressed his opinion: “We have foreseen the difficulties when national teams in the region use many naturalized players. This is not a new trend. However, to do this, we need to take the right steps, in accordance with the culture of each country.

Mass naturalization of players can help the national team become stronger at some point. But the consequence is that the domestic tournament system can weaken and affect the training of young players, maintaining the identity of that national team.

Playing football requires patience. VFF will persevere with the path of developing football from within, calculating and adding necessary elements. We need even development for the national team and the system of professional clubs. Vietnamese football needs sustainable development, preserving and promoting its identity."

In the immediate future, the Vietnamese team needs to prepare its forces for the two matches with Nepal in October. The goal of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team is to win 6 absolute points.

Vietnam team's opponent announces list

The Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has announced the list of 33 Nepalese players called to prepare for the two matches against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. According to the schedule, the Nepalese team will start training from September 23. The training sessions of this South Asian team will be closed to the media.

Most of the Nepalese players are playing in their home country. Some are playing for clubs in Cambodia and Bangladesh. Overall, coach Matt Ross has called up the best players, notably captain Kiran Chemjong (107 appearances for the national team) and striker Anjan Bista (13 goals in 70 appearances for Nepal).

Nepal is ranked 176th in the world and is being coached by Australian coach Matt Ross. Since the beginning of 2025, they have played a number of matches with quite positive results, such as winning 1-0 against Singapore and drawing with Hong Kong (China).

In Group F, the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal played two matches and lost both. They lost to Malaysia 0-2 and Laos 1-2. According to the schedule, Nepal will play two matches against Vietnam in October 2025, both taking place in Ho Chi Minh City. On October 9, Nepal will meet Vietnam at Binh Duong Stadium. On October 14, the two teams will meet again at Thong Nhat Stadium - the venue chosen by the South Asian team as their home ground. Both matches will take place at 7:30 p.m. The results of this match will directly affect the ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.

HH

Source: https://cand.com.vn/so-tay-the-thao/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-cho-nhan-to-moi-i782177/