Vietnam female star forward refuses Portugal offer

By Hoang Nguyen January 20, 2021 | 04:15 am PT

Huynh Nhu (R) during the final of women's football between Vietnam and Thailand in SEA Games 30 on December 8, 2019. Photo courtesy of FIFA.

Huynh Nhu, the star forward of Vietnam women's national football team, has decided to stay in Vietnam rather than play for Portuguese club Lank FC due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nhu will not join Lank FC despite an agreement reached with the club in September last year, a representative of HCMC’s Department of Culture and Sports said.

Despite having previously expressed the desire to play football in Europe, Nhu will continue playing in the domestic league amid the ongoing pandemic in Portugal. The southwestern European country hit its daily Covid-19 death record Monday, having recorded over 560,000 cases and more than 9,000 fatalities in total.

With all her paperwork already in order, Nhu's decision will see her miss the chance to become the first Vietnamese female player to compete in Europe.

Two other national players, Pham Hai Yen and Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung, also refused offers from Lank FC due to personal reasons.

The Braga-based club were established in early 2020 and are eager to recruit new players to join their first tournament, Portugal’s third division Campeonato Nacional III.

Nhu is a key national team and Ho Chi Minh City I W.F.C. player. She helped the club win the domestic title and with the national team, reached the final Olympic qualification round last year. Nhu won the Vietnamese Golden Ball 2020 award on Jan. 12 in the women's category, her third overall.