Vietnamese players celebrate their 3-1 victory over Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Thien Truong Stadium in northern Vietnam on March 31, 2026. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
In addition to Brazilian-born players Nguyen Xuan Son (real name Rafaelson) and Do Hoang Hen (Hendrio), the squad announced on Monday introduced three newly naturalized talents: goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang, midfielder Ngo Dang Khoa and striker Nguyen Tai Loc.
Born in Slovakia in 1992, the 1.88m goalkeeper Patrik developed within the European system, representing Slovakia at the U19 and U21 levels. He moved to Vietnam in 2023, eventually settling at Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) and Cong An HCMC (formerly HCMC FC). This is his first call-up after obtaining Vietnamese citizenship last month.
Patrik is coming off an excellent 2025-2026 campaign, helping his club secure fifth place in the V.League 1 and win the National Cup. He is praised for his sharp reflexes and strong Vietnamese communication skills.
19-year-old midfielder Ngo Dang Khoa, born in Perth, Australia, to Vietnamese parents, is a product of the Perth Glory youth academy. Khoa made history as the first player of Vietnamese descent to play and score in Australia’s A-League.
After 26 appearances for Perth Glory, he transferred to HCMC in early 2026. Playing as an attacking midfielder or winger, his pace and technical ability yielded five goals across domestic competitions this season.
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Ngo Dang Khoa (L) and Patrick Le Giang receive Vietnamese citizenship on May 13, 2026. Photo by Read/Dinh Vien |
Brazilian-born striker Nguyen Tai Loc, formerly known as Geovane, played in his home country’s lower divisions before relocating to Vietnam in 2019. After successful stints with several domestic clubs, he finalized his naturalization process in April 2026. He joins Xuan Son and Hoang Hen to form a formidable Brazilian-born attacking trio.
Two key naturalized players, goalkeeper Filip Nguyen and defender Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, were excluded, as both are required for Hanoi FC’s crucial AFC Champions League Elite play-off against Adelaide United on Aug. 11.
Striker Nguyen Tien Linh, top scorer of the 2024 ASEAN Cup, is also absent following a dip in form.
The squad retains a core of seasoned veterans, including Dang Van Lam, Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Quang Hai. Several prominent CAHN stars, including Doan Van Hau and Bui Hoang Viet Anh, will also join the camp.
The roster also included emerging domestic talents like Dinh Quang Kiet, Nguyen Ngoc My and Le Ngoc Bao.
The national team will gather in Hanoi on June 22 before traveling to South Korea for a training camp from July 2 to 14. They will return to play a friendly against Myanmar on July 18. Following this match, Kim will announce the official squad for the tournament.
The 2026 ASEAN Cup group stage runs from July 24 to Aug. 8. Drawn into Group A, Vietnam, the defending champions, will kick off their campaign against Timor Leste on July 24, before facing Indonesia, Cambodia and Singapore.
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