The 2024 AFF Cup marks a very important milestone as the Vietnamese national team will use a naturalized player again for the first time in 15 years. Yesterday afternoon, Nguyen Xuan Son arrived at the Vietnamese national team's headquarters, beginning a memorable journey in his career. Previously, Phan Van Santos, Dinh Hoang La, and Huynh Kesley Alves were among the naturalized players who had the good fortune to wear the Vietnamese national team jersey.
Another player who was very eager to play for Vietnam was Hoang Vu Samson, a Nigerian-born striker. He came to Vietnam in 2007 and officially received Vietnamese citizenship at the end of 2013, after more than five years of living and working there. By the time the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) began its plan to use naturalized players, Samson was already getting old.
Hoang Vu Samson is still playing well at the age of 36.
This star, born in 1988, was 36 years old when the 2024 AFF Cup took place. However, his goals and assists this season were higher than those of younger forwards like Van Toan, Vi Hao, Thanh Binh, or Tuan Hai. Last season, he even scored 13 goals and provided 1 assist for his teammates while playing for Quang Nam Club.
Hoang Vu Samson has scored a total of 219 goals in the V.League up to the end of the match in round 9 between Quang Nam and Hanoi . Nguyen Van Quyet - the top Vietnamese goalscorer - has only 117 goals. Nguyen Xuan Son has scored 71 goals after more than 5 years playing in Vietnam.
In fact, coach Kim Sang-sik's decision not to call up Hoang Vu Samson is understandable. He is older and unlikely to be able to handle the high intensity of competition. However, in a cup tournament where efficiency is paramount, Hoang Vu Samson can still bring his own unique value.
However, many experts believe that Hoang Vu Samson is not suitable for the playing philosophy and operational methods of the Vietnamese national team under the South Korean coach. In particular, Coach Kim places great emphasis on the stability of the team, gradually discarding veterans who lack fitness and young players who were favored under Troussier but have failed to make an impact recently. Therefore, Hoang Vu Samson cannot be an exception at this time.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-lang-phi-cau-thu-nhap-tich-ghi-219-ban-ar911741.html
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