Recently, Vietnamese-American center-back Colonna (The Cong Viettel) officially gained Vietnamese citizenship with the Vietnamese name Luong Chi Khai, thereby getting closer to the opportunity to wear the national team jersey.
If FIFA confirms that he is eligible to play, coach Kim Sang-sik will have another potential option for the defense right in the preparation phase for FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
The player born in 1999 is 1m88 tall, strong in tackles and has a stable position at The Cong Viettel. Last season, he played 24 matches and continued to start in the first 2 rounds of V.League 2026-2027.
Not only Luong Chi Khai, in the past few months, many overseas Vietnamese players have acquired Vietnamese nationality. Recently, Adou Minh has acquired nationality and has been certified by FIFA as eligible to play.
The player born in 1997 used to play in France, then returned to Vietnam to play for Hong Linh Ha Tinh and then Cong An Ha Noi. He is one of the important factors contributing to the V.League championship of the Police sector team.
If Luong Chi Khai and Adou Minh are both called up, coach Kim Sang-sik can increase the competitiveness in the defense and wing, thereby arranging more tactical options depending on each opponent.
Besides, the group of quality overseas Vietnamese players also includes Williams Minh Hoang and Ngo Dang Khoa. They have had enough time playing in the V.League and made their mark in the Ho Chi Minh City Police shirt.
Last season, Williams Minh Hoang scored 9 goals and 1 assist; Dang Khoa also scored 4 goals and 1 assist. If they meet the requirements of coach Kim Sang-sik, they could be a quality addition to the Vietnamese national team's attack.
Currently, some players are showing signs of overload after a dense playing time such as Truong Tien Anh, Nguyen Tai Loc, Nguyen Xuan Son or Nguyen Van Vi. Therefore, it is not excluded that Mr. Kim considers calling them up to test personnel as well as positions towards the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
