Is the Vietnam national team about to gain a high-quality naturalized goalkeeper?

According to several reports, goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang is currently speeding up his Vietnamese naturalization process.

Reliable sources indicate that Ho Chi Minh City Police FC is actively facilitating the citizenship process for goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang. Coach Kim Sang Sik and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) are preparing to submit proposals to the authorities to allow the Slovak-Vietnamese player to soon represent the Vietnam national team.

Patrik Lê Giang has a Vietnamese father and a Slovak mother, which should somewhat ease his citizenship application. Since returning to Vietnam to play in 2023, the goalkeeper born in 1992 has been competing as a foreign player of Vietnamese origin.

The Slovak-Vietnamese goalkeeper is considered one of the best goalkeepers currently in the V-League. In the 2023/24 season, he was honored as the best goalkeeper of the season with impressive statistics. In the following seasons, he has remained a key player for Ho Chi Minh City (now Ho Chi Minh City Police FC), making numerous outstanding saves. Currently, Patrik Lê Giang is helping his club soar to second place in the national championship.

After many changes, the goalkeeper position of the Vietnam national team is currently a headache for the Korean coach: Filip Nguyễn has inconsistent form and often makes mistakes at crucial moments; Đình Triệu has just returned from injury and has physical limitations; while Trần Trung Kiên, though shining, still needs to gain more experience. If everything goes smoothly and Patrik Lê Giang obtains citizenship soon, he will be a valuable new addition to the Vietnam national team’s goalkeeping line.

Previously, Coach Kim Sang Sik and the VFF were reported to have requested assistance in naturalizing Brazilian central defender Gustavo Santos.

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