Vietnam makes overtures to Vietnamese-French footballer

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) made the move after 22-year-old Pendant told Goal Vietnam that he would "carefully consider" an offer to play for the Vietnamese national team, that it would be a matter of great pride.

A report in the The Thao Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh City Sports) newspaper said that Pendant, born to a Vietnamese mother and French father in France, is a defender for the Sochaux-Montbéliard football club in Ligue 2, the second-tier French football league.

Pendant has played for the French U16 and U18 national football teams.

VFF has said it is willing to create favorable conditions for Pendant to travel to Vietnam and play trial matches.

In his interview with Goal Vietnam, Pendant said Vietnam means a lot to him though he has never returned to the country after a trip when he was six.

"That is where my mother was born and raised. During my childhood, I was taught about the unique culture of Vietnam, from its cuisine, songs to movies."

He said it was not easy for him to keep track of matches played by the Vietnamese national team, but he tries to update himself about Vietnamese football, from time to time.

"I think Vietnamese players are quick, skillful and disciplined," he said.

For now, Pendant said that he wanted to focus on the club level for his career and that he has an ambition to play in France’s top football league, Ligue 1.

However, "If one day the Vietnamese team gives me an offer, I would absolutely consider it carefully. It would be a matter of great pride."

Transfermark, a German-based website that covers football all over the world, has estimated Pendant’s market value in January this year at 540,000 euros ($612,000), making him one of four most expensive players at Sochaux-Montbéliard.

His contract with this club will end June 30, 2020.

The Vietnamese national football team already has one foreign player of Vietnamese origin, goalkeeper Dang Van Lam.

Son of a Vietnamese father and Russian mother, Lam started to play for the Vietnamese national team in 2017 and has built himself quite a reputation, helping the country win the 2018 AFF Cup to become the best team in Southeast Asia after a gap of ten years, and then making it to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup 2019, for the first time since 2007.