Coach Kim Sang-sik places his trust in the overseas Vietnamese 'unknown': A golden opportunity or a ruthless elimination?

The 20-year-old overseas Vietnamese footballer, just back from Australia, Ngo Dang Khoa, surprisingly appeared on the squad for the Vietnamese national team for the ASEAN Championship 2026.

The list of 28 players called up by Coach Kim Sang-sik for the ASEAN Championship 2026 brought quite a few surprises, but perhaps the name generating the most attention is Ngo Dang Khoa (Khoa Ngo).

At the age of 20, this overseas Vietnamese player, who grew up in Australia, has joined a Vietnamese national team training camp for the first time. For Dang Khoa personally, this is not just an opportunity, but also a significant milestone marking initial success on his journey to fulfill the dream of wearing the "Golden Star Warriors" jersey.

Not long ago, Dang Khoa was still a fairly unfamiliar face to most Vietnamese fans. However, what he showed after returning to play domestically helped the 2006-born midfielder gradually earn recognition from experts.

In the 2025/26 season, Dang Khoa contributed to his club finishing in the top 5 of the V-League and, notably, winning the National Cup. Although he only scored 4 goals in 14 appearances, the young player impressed with his speed, confidence, and energetic playing spirit. Those performances convinced Coach Kim Sang-sik to give him a chance on the national team. As Vietnam's national team moves toward a youth revitalization, Dang Khoa's emergence is seen as a positive signal for the future.

Of course, the journey of this overseas Vietnamese midfielder is still very long. Being called up is only the beginning. Ahead of him lies fierce competition against a host of experienced stars such as Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hai Long, Nguyen Dinh Bac, or other quality naturalized players.

However, not every young player gets the chance to be included in the national team roster at the age of 20. The mere fact that Coach Kim Sang-sik has placed his trust in him shows that Dang Khoa is on the right track in his career development.

The ASEAN Championship 2026 may not yet be the stage for Ngo Dang Khoa to become a star of the Vietnamese national team, but appearing in the national team jersey at this very moment is a well-deserved reward for the young player's efforts. Returning from Australia to Vietnam, Dang Khoa has completed the first step of his dream. The rest will depend on him in the days to come.