'Dinosaur' 2k7 nearly 2m tall joins Vietnam national team, causing public excitement

Vietnamese-origin goalkeeper Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka, currently playing in Japan, has been called up to the U19 Vietnam team, quickly attracting attention with his outstanding physique.

The U19 Vietnam national team has announced a list of 31 players for the first training camp in 2026, preparing for the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship and further for the 2027 Asian U20 Qualifiers. This is considered an important initial step for the coaching staff to review the squad, assess potential, and provide opportunities for young players to showcase their abilities.

This current list assembles many faces who have previously worn the jersey of national youth teams such as U16, U17, and U18 Vietnam. Names like Nguyen Duc Nhat, Le Minh Nhat, Bach Trong Duong, Nguyen Van Quan, Nguyen Thiên Phu, Nguyen Hoang Nam, or Dinh Xuan Khai are expected to play key roles. However, the focal point of fans' attention is directed towards a special figure - Vietnamese-origin goalkeeper Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka.

Possessing a remarkable height of 1.96m, Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka is currently playing for Ryukei University Football Club in Japan. Immediately after the information was announced, many domestic fans were very surprised by the ideal physique of the goalkeeper born in 2007, even calling him the "dinosaur" in the goal frame of U19 Vietnam.

In fact, this is not the first time Nhat Ka has attracted attention. Previously, he participated in training with the U20 Vietnam team when the national team went to Japan for training in 2024 to prepare for the 2025 Asian U20 Qualifiers. The football environment in Japan is considered an important foundation helping this young goalkeeper accumulate experience and develop professionally.

According to domestic sports media, Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka and his family moved to Japan to live in 2015. Here, he began to get involved with football and was soon guided to play as a goalkeeper due to his outstanding height and good reflexes. Nhat Ka previously played for the football team of Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa before becoming a member of Ryukei University Football Club.

Although pursuing sports, Nhat Ka's daily schedule is tightly arranged to ensure his studies. Each day he trains from 6:30 to 8:30 before class, then continues training from 16:30 to 19:30 after school. On weekends, the players compete internally to maintain ball feel and accumulate match experience.

Notably, Nhat Ka still retains Vietnamese citizenship despite having received an offer to switch to Japanese citizenship from the school. He declined because he wishes to wear the jersey of Vietnam national teams in the future. The goalkeeper born in 2007 also shared that he considers Dang Van Lam a role model to learn from, both in playing style and dedication spirit.

With his outstanding physique and training background in Japan, Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka is becoming a name that receives special attention from professionals and fans. Many opinions suggest that if developed properly, this 1.96m tall goalkeeper could certainly become a noteworthy option for the goal frames of youth national teams, and even further for the Vietnam national team in the future.