On the afternoon of Sept. 10, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced that FIFA had confirmed CAHN defender Adou Minh is eligible to represent Vietnam. If selected by Kim Sang Sik for the upcoming training camp ahead of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, Minh could make his first appearance for the Vietnamese national team.

Adou Legley Minh was born in France in 1997 to a Vietnamese mother and French father. He can play as a center-back or full-back. Before joining CAHN, he made his mark playing for Ha Tinh.

Amid the growing presence of naturalized players in the Vietnam squad, VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu said the federation does not impose any limit on how many can be called up or fielded. The final decision rests with head coach Kim Sang Sik.

“The VFF has never imposed a limit on the number of naturalized players. That is the head coach’s decision. Three naturalized players were recently called up to the Vietnam team, but sometimes only one or two started. How the players are used is up to the coach,” Tu said.

The VFF official said the use of naturalized players has become increasingly common in world football. While naturalization was relatively limited in the past, national teams around the world are now increasingly fielding such players. Ultimately, the head coach selects those he considers suitable for the squad.

As for Vietnam’s schedule, after competing at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, Kim Sang Sik’s team will play two international friendlies in November against Chinese Taipei and Kyrgyzstan as part of their preparations for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Dai Nam