Indonesian media: 'Vietnam national team confident with three naturalized players of Brazilian origin'

Indonesian media views Vietnam as a strong candidate for winning the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.

According to Bola, the Vietnam national team is growing increasingly confident heading into the ASEAN Cup 2026. In this tournament, the "Golden Star Warriors" are reinforced by three naturalized players of Brazilian origin.

The three players mentioned are Hendrio, Rafaelson, and Geovane Magno. Notably, all three adopted Vietnamese names after officially obtaining Vietnamese citizenship.

Hendrio changed his name to Do Hoang Hen, Rafaelson took the name Nguyen Xuan Son, while Geovane Magno's new name is Nguyen Tai Loc.

Coach Kim Sang Sik also expressed satisfaction with the performance of these three players. According to him, they are elements that can make a difference and elevate the quality of the team's play.

"The use of three naturalized players has greatly strengthened the Vietnam national team," Coach Kim Sang Sik shared after the friendly match win against Myanmar 4-0 on July 18.

The South Korean coach stated that he still has a puzzle to solve: how to maximize the potential of Nguyen Xuan Son, Do Hoang Hen, and Nguyen Tai Loc at the ASEAN Cup 2026.

"I need to find a way to fully unlock their potential. This is a very impressive display from all three players, and they will continue to contribute, score many goals, and bring better results for the Vietnam national team," he emphasized.

According to Bola, Coach Kim Sang Sik also appeared optimistic ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026. He believes the Vietnam national team currently has many quality personnel options for the tournament.

"We will have many choices to prepare the players for their best form at the ASEAN Cup 2026. I will adjust fitness and tactics so that the team can deliver the best performances," he concluded.

The Vietnam national team began its preparation for the ASEAN Cup 2026 last June with a high-intensity training camp in South Korea.

After finishing the final friendly match with a win over Myanmar, this morning (July 20), the Vietnam national team moved to Chonburi (Thailand) to prepare for their opening match in Group A of the ASEAN Cup 2026 on July 24.