Patrick Le Giang admitted he was overwhelmed with emotion after finally realising his dream of wearing the Vietnam national team jersey, pledging to give everything he has to help the defending champions retain the ASEAN Cup title.

The CA TP.HCM (HCM City Police FC) goalkeeper is among the new faces called up for Vietnam’s training camp ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign. Arriving in strong form and eager to prove himself, Le Giang will compete for the starting goalkeeper position under head coach Kim Sang Sik.

“I want to thank HCM City Police FC. I also want to thank the Vietnam Football Federation for supporting the process with FIFA. I am grateful to everyone who stood behind me and supported me throughout this journey,” Le Giang said.

“After more than three years, I am finally here. This is an incredibly happy moment for me.”

The goalkeeper revealed that the squad had only gathered the previous day and that he was still getting to know many of his teammates.

“We only met yesterday at the team gathering, so I do not know all my teammates very well yet. I am very happy to meet them and the coaching staff. We will do everything we can over the next two weeks before travelling to South Korea for training. I believe Vietnam will be very well prepared for the upcoming ASEAN Cup.”

Le Giang also praised the atmosphere within the national team camp.

“The environment in the Vietnam team is fantastic. Everyone has welcomed me warmly and positively. I am very grateful to be here.”

“I do not think there are any major issues within the squad. Some players are dealing with minor injuries or fatigue after a long season. We just need to recover properly so we can compete with our strongest possible lineup.”

“As for myself, I will always give my best for the national team and for Vietnamese fans.”

Born in 1992, Patrick Le Giang is a goalkeeper of Slovak and Vietnamese heritage who currently plays for HCM City Police FC. Before moving to Vietnam in 2023, he represented Slovakia at U19 and U21 levels.

Standing 1.88 metres tall and known for his excellent reflexes, Le Giang is widely viewed as a valuable addition to Vietnam’s goalkeeping department as Kim Sang Sik prepares his squad for another ASEAN Cup title defence.

Dai Nam