The reason Coach Kim Sang Sik excluded the Vietnamese-origin goalkeeper from the Vietnam national team

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) explained why goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang was not included in the final list for the March FIFA Days.

On March 17, Coach Kim Sang Sik announced the official list of 23 players for the final match against the Malaysia national team within the framework of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Notably, the trio from Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, including Tiến Linh, Thanh Bình, and Patrik Lê Giang, were all absent, despite previously being named in the preliminary list.

Regarding Patrik Lê Giang's case, the Vietnam Football Federation stated that he could not participate in this training session due to incomplete legal procedures related to the transfer of his representative federation.

Specifically, although he officially obtained Vietnamese citizenship on January 28, Patrik Lê Giang still needs to fully comply with FIFA regulations to qualify for the national team. Currently, the goalkeeper's documents are under review by the relevant football federations and FIFA, pending a final decision on the transfer of his representation rights.

The incomplete necessary procedures forced the goalkeeper, who is under contract with Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, to miss this gathering of the Vietnam national team. This is quite regrettable given that he is maintaining stable form in V-League and is highly regarded for his playing experience.

Previously, the proposal for naturalization Patrik Lê Giang was made by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism based on comprehensive assessments of his professional skills and contributions in recent seasons. With international playing experience and stability in goal, he is expected to be a quality addition to the Vietnam national team in the future.

Once the federation transfer process according to FIFA regulations is completed, Patrik Lê Giang will be eligible to play for the Vietnam national team, thereby providing another quality option for the goalkeeper position.

According to the plan, the Vietnam national team will assemble in Hanoi from March 21. Some players busy with National Cup matches and postponed V-League games will join later. During the upcoming FIFA Days, the team will have a friendly match with Bangladesh on March 26 at Hang Day Stadium, before moving to Ninh Binh to prepare for hosting Malaysia in the final Asian Cup 2027 qualifier on March 31.