Vietnamese star midfielder continues goal drought

By Xuan Binh   March 28, 2023 | 01:07 am PT
Nguyen Quang Hai once again had an underwhelming match for Pau B in the fifth division of French football last weekend, which marked his 17th consecutive game without scoring.

Hai played from the start in the game between Pau B, the reserve team of Pau FC, and Lege Cap Ferret on Saturday. This is his fourth game for Pau B this season and he has started in all of them. Despite playing the full 90 minutes in his favorite attacking midfielder position, Hai did not score or assist.

This is the 17th consecutive game that Hai did not score, including games at his French club and the Vietnam national football team. The last time he scored was on Oct. 8, 2022, when he equalized for Pau FC against Rodez in France's second football division Ligue 2. Since then, he has played five games for Pau and four for its reserve team, along with eight games for Vietnam.

In these 17 games, Hai played nine from the start. He played just 36 minutes in five games for Pau, before moving down to the reserve team.

Nguyen Quang Hai plays for Pau FC on February 18, 2023. Photo by Pau FC

Nguyen Quang Hai plays for Pau FC on February 18, 2023. Photo by Pau FC

According to French newspaper Le Republique des Pyrenees, Hai's only notable play in the game on Saturday was a volley in the 11th minute after receiving a cross, but he did not hit the target. The game ended with a 2-0 win for Pau B.

Mohamed Yattara and Charles Boli are two other players of Pau FC that were moved down to the reserve team like Hai.

The longest goal drought in Hai's career was 18 games, from Oct. 2019 to Oct. 2020.

Hai's contract with Pau is still available until June 2024. However, he currently has no spot in the main team. Pau are placing 15th in Ligue 2 and only two points away from relegation. Football experts in France commented that with the current state, Pau will not give game time to players who are not good enough to play for the main team.

 
 
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