Saigon FC sign two players from Japanese leagues

Saigon announced their new signings for the 2021 season on Thursday. Takasaki Hiroyuki, 34, 1.88-m tall, scored 84 goals in 324 appearances for Japanese clubs like Urawa Red Diamonds, Mito HollyHock, Ventforet Kofu, Tokushima Vortis, Kashima Antlers, and Matsumoto Yamaga.

In 2020 he moved to FC Gifu in the third division and scored five goals.

Woo Sang-ho, 28, moves to Saigon from J2 League club Tochigi FC. He made 92 appearances for various clubs like Montenegrin OFK Petrovac, South Korea’s Deagu FC, FC Gifu, and Ehime FC before moving to Tochigi in 2020.

Both players will arrive in Vietnam on Friday and go into quarantine before joining their club for training. Saigon play Hoang Anh Gia Lai in their first 2021 V. League game on January 16.

Another Japanese player, midfielder Daisuke Matsui, signed earlier with Saigon, who also have three experts and a therapist from Japan.

Saigon were the dark horse in 2020 and went unbeaten to top the table after the first leg. But they failed to maintain their form in the second leg and finished third.

But their third place finish qualified them for the AFC Cup group stage.

The club also saw a number of players leave, including the league’s top scorer in 2020, Brazilian striker Pedro Paulo, who moved to champions Viettel FC.