In his playing career, Nguyen Minh Nghia was once a prominent face of Dong Thap club. He played as a striker, possessing a playing style rich in physical strength, speed and good finishing ability in the penalty area. At one point, he paired with Nguyen Trung Vinh, creating a remarkable attacking duo of the Western team.
In 1998, Minh Nghia was called up to the national team. In 2001, he was included in the list to participate in SEA Games 21. A year later, he continued to be called up to the Vietnamese national team by coach Henrique Calisto, during a period when the team gathered many famous strikers such as Le Huynh Duc, Huynh Hong Son, Pham Van Quyen or Dang Phuong Nam.
At the club level, Minh Nghia once wore the Hoang Anh Gia Lai shirt and left his mark in the mountain town squad. In 2006, he and the team finished in fourth place in the V.League, his name is still written on the traditional steles of the club. After leaving Hoang Anh Gia Lai, he had time to play for Can Tho in the First Division.
Sharing about his former student, coach Doan Minh Xuong assessed Nguyen Minh Nghia as one of the excellent strikers of Dong Thap football, standing out in physique, speed and scoring ability.
The sudden passing of the former striker born in 1977 leaves a void and regret for his family, former teammates and football fans of Dong Thap in particular, and Vietnamese football in general.
