Ho Chi Minh, 17 July, 2025 – Vietnamese international center-back Que Ngoc Hai has officially ended his contract with Binh Duong FC a year early and will join Thanh Hoa FC starting from the 2025/2026 season.
Ngoc Hai originally signed a three-year contract with Binh Duong in 2023, reportedly receiving a two-year signing bonus of around 10 billion VND. However, injuries limited his contributions in his first season, where he appeared in only 15 matches totaling 982 minutes. In the most recent 2024/2025 campaign, he played more consistently with 25 matches and 2,005 minutes, helping Binh Duong finish 7th after placing 9th the season before.
Despite the improvement, Ngoc Hai came under criticism for a costly error in the semifinal of the National Cup in June, when he fouled SLNA’s Michael Olaha in the box late in the second half, resulting in a penalty that sealed a 3-2 win for SLNA and ended Binh Duong’s title hopes.
Following the season, Binh Duong’s management assessed that the 31-year-old defender was no longer performing at the expected physical and professional level. After prolonged negotiations, both parties agreed to an early termination of the contract.
Thanh Hoa FC quickly moved to secure Ngoc Hai’s services, reportedly buying out the final year of his contract with Binh Duong and offering him a new two-year deal.
Born in 1993, Que Ngoc Hai rose through the youth ranks of Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) and debuted for the first team in 2012. He transferred to Viettel (now The Cong Viettel) in 2018, before returning to SLNA for the 2022 season under a three-year deal, which he terminated in August 2023 to join Binh Duong.
Throughout his career, Ngoc Hai has collected numerous major honors, including the National Cup with SLNA in 2017, the V.League 1 title with Viettel in 2020, and the AFF Cup (now ASEAN Cup) with the Vietnam national team in 2018.
However, since the ASEAN Cup 2024, he has not been recalled to the national team. His most recent appearance came in a 1-1 friendly draw with India in October 2024, where Vietnam conceded due to a misjudged aerial challenge by Ngoc Hai.
He becomes the fourth player to leave Binh Duong this offseason, following foreign players Timite Cheick and Odiljon Abdurakhmanov, and goalkeeper Vu Tuyen Quang. Star striker Nguyen Tien Linh is also reportedly considering a move away.
Founded in 1976 as Song Be FC, Binh Duong rebranded as Becamex Binh Duong in 2002 and rose to prominence with strong financial backing. Often dubbed the “Vietnamese Chelsea,” the club has won four V.League 1 titles (2007, 2008, 2014, 2015), three National Cups, four Super Cups, and one Mekong Club Championship in 2014, along with eight BTV Cup titles.
In recent years, Binh Duong’s performances have declined amid constant managerial changes. The club has reportedly filed a request to change its name to Ho Chi Minh City FC and is awaiting approval from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF).
Hong Phuc
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