|
Kyle Colonna celebrates a goal for The Cong Viettel FC. Photo by VPF |
Colonna, 27, will go by the Vietnamese name Luong Chi Khai. Since the 1.88-m-tall defender is mixed, with an American father and a Vietnamese mother, he was exempted from the standard requirement of five years of continuous residence in the country for foreign players.
Colonna will apply to transfer his registration from the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Once this procedure is complete, he will meet all legal requirements to be called up to the Vietnam national team and may even make his debut in the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup at the end of this month.
Teammates noted that he has consistently expressed a desire to represent the national team since arriving in Vietnam.
Colonna has established himself as a reliable defensive anchor for The Cong since joining last season. Local media have highlighted his physique, positioning, duel-winning ability and composure.
Following Vietnamese-French right-back Adou Minh, the naturalization of Colonna continues the trend of overseas-born Vietnamese players returning to the country, and this provides coach Kim Sang-sik with more defensive options alongside established key players such as Doan Van Hau, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Nguyen Thanh Chung and Pham Xuan Manh.
With the addition of the The Cong center-back, the national team could theoretically field a defense composed entirely of naturalized mixed players.
Filip Nguyen (half Czech) and Patrik Le Giang (half Slovakian) are available options for the goalkeeper position. A potential back four could comprise of Vietnamese-French full-backs Quang Vinh Pendant and Adou Minh, Colonna, and Brazilian center-back Do Phi Long (Gustavo).
While it is unlikely that coach Kim will field a backline of all naturalized players, this highlights the growth of talent available among overseas-born players in the Vietnamese football scene.