Ho Chi Minh City, 13 May 2026 – Vietnamese-origin players Patrik Le Giang and Khoa Ngo officially received Vietnamese citizenship on the morning of May 13 in Ho Chi Minh City, providing a major boost for coach Kim Sang Sik ahead of the AFF ASEAN Cup 2026.
The ceremony was organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Justice, where official citizenship decisions approved by the Vietnamese President were presented to goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang and young midfielder Ngo Dang Khoa, commonly known as Khoa Ngo. The event was attended by several local officials and representatives from Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, including club chairman Tran Hong Minh, coach Phung Thanh Phuong, and Vietnam national team striker Nguyen Tien Linh.
Born in Slovakia in 1992, Patrik Le Giang developed through the European football system before moving to Vietnam in 2023 to join Ho Chi Minh FC. He later signed for Ho Chi Minh City Police FC and quickly earned recognition for his experience, consistency, and long-term potential contribution to Vietnamese football. Standing at 1.88 meters tall, the goalkeeper has become one of the standout foreign-born players in V.League 1.
Meanwhile, Khoa Ngo, born in 2006 and holding Australian nationality, is regarded as one of the most promising overseas Vietnamese talents of his generation. After arriving on loan from Perth Glory FC earlier in 2026, the attacking midfielder impressed with his pace, technical ability, and creativity in attack. So far, he has scored four goals for Ho Chi Minh City Police FC across V.League 1 and the National Cup during the 2025/2026 season.
Although Patrik Le Giang was unavailable for Vietnam’s recent Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Malaysia due to incomplete federation-switch procedures, he is now one step closer to representing Vietnam internationally. Khoa Ngo is also currently completing the remaining requirements needed to become eligible for the national team.
Speaking during the ceremony, Patrik Le Giang expressed his emotions after finally becoming a Vietnamese citizen.
“I have always wanted to contribute to Vietnamese football. Today is an incredibly happy day for me because after three years of waiting, I have officially become a Vietnamese citizen,” he said.
The Slovak-born goalkeeper also thanked everyone who supported him throughout the naturalization process and promised to continue working hard to repay the trust and expectations of Vietnamese football fans.
VSN/RPT
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