Czech-Vietnamese goalkeeper Filip Nguyen (Photo sparta.cz)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Many overseas Vietnamese football players haveexpressed their hope of playing for Vietnam’s national team following itsrecent successes.
Among them, there is Czech-Vietnamese goalkeeper Filip Nguyen.
Nguyen was born in 1992 in Prague to a Vietnamese father and a Czech mother.The 26-year-old keeper plays for FC Slovan Liberec, one of the most successfulteams in the Czech Republic with three league titles in the Czech First Leagueand one Czech Cup win since 1993.
Nguyen is 1.9m tall and is the club’s top goalkeeper. He signed hiscontract with Slovan Liberec in February last year that runs through 2021. Hehas played 13 matches in the 2018-19 season.
As a young player, Nguyen was trained at the ABC Branik Praha FootballInstitute. Nguyen used to play for AC Sparta Praha, who have competed in theUEFA Champions League many times.
Nguyen is a close friend of Mac Hong Quan, who competes for V.League 1side Quang Ninh Coal. Born in the northern province of Hai Duong, Quan migratedto the Czech Republic with his family in 2000 at the age of eight. Both Nguyenand Quan have played for Sparta Praha.
A few years ago, Nguyen travelled to Vietnam to seek a chance to play forthe country.
“In 2016, while I was playing for a second-division team in the CzechRepublic, I returned to Vietnam with the wish of playing in the Vietnamesenational premiere league and wearing the jersey of the national team,” Nguyentold Zing.vn.
"I came to a V.League 1 club and they said they wanted to have myservice and would take care of my nationality issue,” he said. “I stayed inVietnam for 10 days to trial at that club but in the end, I returned to theCzech Republic.”
“I still want a chance to play for the Vietnamese national team. I amtrying to be granted Vietnamese citizenship. I plan to return to Vietnam thisJune. I hope a door will open for me,” said Nguyen.
According to the international transfer website transfermarket.com,Nguyen is valued at 405,000 EUR (453,900 USD).
Alexander Dang, 29, a leading striker in the Norwegian First Division,also hopes to play for Vietnam. Dang plays for Nest-Sotra Fotball.
Defender Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant, a Vietnam-France dual national, isconsidering joining Vietnam’s national team if he is invited.
Pendant, 22, is regarded as a speedy and physically gifted player. He hasplayed for the French U16 and U18 national teams. At the club level, he playsfor Sochaux FC in League 2. Despite his young age, he has made a total of 45appearances with his team.
Pendant has also had 16 appearances with France’s U16s and scored twicefor the team, along with two appearances with the U18 squad.
Pendant, whose mother is Vietnamese and father is African-French, said itwould be a great honour to be called up to the national team by the VietnamFootball Federation (VFF).
Pendant is valued at approximately 600,000 euros on transfermarket.
The national team success of half-Russian goalkeeper Dang Van Lam hasopened the door for other players of Vietnamese heritage to aspire to representthe country, especially after the team’s performances at the AFF Suzuki Cup andthe AFC Asian Cup.
Fans are expecting the VFF and coach Park Hang-seo to create opportunitiesfor these dual-nationals to play for the country in the near future.
However, the VFF’s general secretary said the organisation would leaverecruitment to the national teams’ training boards rather than relying on mediareports.-VNS/VNA
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