Coach Kim Sang Sik aims to naturalize an additional top striker from the Americas.

Striker Gordon Rimario is currently recommended by Coach Kim Sang Sik for naturalization so that he can represent Vietnam’s national team.

Gordon Rimario is among a few high-quality foreign players in the V-League who have lived and played in Vietnam for five years or more, alongside names like Gustavo Santos (Da Nang), Hendrio (Hanoi), Geovane (Ninh Binh), and Janclesio (Ninh Binh). Notably, all four of these players have been proposed for Vietnamese naturalization.

Most recently, according to information from VTC News, Coach Kim Sang Sik has also recommended the naturalization of Rimario. The Jamaican striker is considered capable of making a strong contribution to the Vietnam national team. The Vietnam Football Federation will submit requests to relevant ministries and agencies to assist with the naturalization procedures for the Thanh Hoa club forward.

Rimario has also received support from the Thanh Hoa club management in completing the legal procedures before obtaining Vietnamese citizenship. Earlier this year, the Thanh Hoa team confirmed they would assist Rimario in acquiring Vietnamese nationality after his injury recovery.

Rimario has been a familiar striker in the V-League since 2018, having lived in Vietnam for nearly eight years and meeting the residency requirements. The Jamaican forward has played for several well-known clubs such as HAGL, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Binh Duong. Over more than six years of competition, Rimario has appeared in a total of 121 matches and scored 57 goals in Vietnam’s top league.

Rimario’s most successful season was in 2022 with Hai Phong, when he helped the team finish as runners-up and became the top scorer with 17 goals. This season, Rimario has just returned from an ACL injury and has scored one goal in the first six rounds.

The proposal to naturalize high-quality foreign players who have long been part of the V-League demonstrates a new development direction for the Vietnam national team, especially following the success of Xuan Son. In an era of globalization where regional teams are also upgrading their quality with players of foreign origin, selective naturalization for the Vietnam national team is a sensible strategy.