Malaysian media stirs up over Vietnam’s 5 naturalized players

According to Football Fever (Malaysia), the Vietnam national team is making strong preparations for their crucial match against Malaysia in March at the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Football Fever reported: “Vietnam is boosting its squad ahead of the March encounter with Malaysia. The team welcomes 5 newly naturalized players tasked with securing a victory over ‘Harimau Malaya’.

Gustavo Sant’Ana (33 years old), Da Nang; Midfielder Hendrio (31 years old), Hanoi; Goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang (33 years old), Ho Chi Minh City; Defender Janclesio (32 years old), Ninh Binh; Forward Geovane Magno (31 years old), Ninh Binh.

Vietnam does not want to remain passive considering the return of 7 overseas Vietnamese players.”

Among the 5 names mentioned, only 3 have officially acquired Vietnamese nationality. The most notable is central defender Gustavo Sant’Ana, who naturalized at age 30 and took the Vietnamese name Do Phi Long. On the morning of December 11, 2025, at the Da Nang Department of Justice, Gustavo officially received his Vietnamese citizenship decision. Born in 1995 in Sao Paulo (Brazil), standing 1.95m tall, he has played for many V-League clubs such as Viettel, Saigon, SLNA, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa and is now preparing to join Da Nang for the 2025-2026 season as a naturalized player.

Midfielder Hendrio has also completed the naturalization process, adopting the name Do Hoang Hen. This player, born in 1994, came to Vietnam in 2021 with Binh Dinh, impressing with his personal skills, tactical vision, and excellent left-foot ball distribution.

In the goalkeeper position, Patrik Le Giang officially naturalized as Vietnamese according to Decision No. 91/QD-CTN dated January 28, 2026, by the President. Born in 1992 in Slovakia, Patrik grew up in European football, has played in the V-League since 2023, and is currently a key player for Ho Chi Minh City Police FC. His presence gives the Vietnam team a reliable option in goal ahead of the match against Malaysia.

The remaining two players are Geovane Magno and Janclesio who have not yet completed their naturalization procedures but have been officially supported. On September 29, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice requesting consideration for granting citizenship to these two based on proposals from the VFF and coach Kim Sang-sik. Both have lived and played continuously in Vietnam since 2019, meeting FIFA’s criteria.

Geovane (born 1994) is regarded as a technical forward, intelligent in play, with good ability to link up the game. Meanwhile, Janclesio (born 1993, 1.94m tall) is a physically strong central defender, solid in defense, known as a “rock” at the back. Both currently belong to Ninh Binh club and are expected to strengthen the national team if their naturalization is completed.