Vietnamese-Czech goalkeeper close to acquiring citizenship

By Hoang Nguyen February 7, 2020 | 08:23 pm PT

Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen stands in front of Vietnamese trading center and market TTTM Sapa in Prague. Photo courtesy of Flilip Nguyen.

Custodian Filip Nguyen says he has completed all procedures to obtain Vietnamese citizenship and is awaiting final approval.

"My application has been (deemed) sufficient in accordance with Vietnamese law. I'm waiting for the approval of the authorities," the Vietnamese-origin goalkeeper shared on his social media account on Thursday.

Acquiring Vietnamese citizenship could make Nguyen eligible to play for Vietnam in upcoming tournaments, especially the AFF Cup 2020 in December.

At the moment, the 27-year-old goalkeeper plays for the Slovan Liberec club in the top flight Czech league, Fortuna Liga. He has proven himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the league. In the 2018-2019 season, he had a continuous 440-minute clean sheet for his club and was voted "Best Goalkeeper" of the tournament.

He is currently worth $1.04 million on famous transfer site Transfermarkt, while the Vietnam's number one goalkeeper, Dang Van Lam, is valued at $328,000.

If Nguyen joins the national team, he is expected to generate healthy competition for the custodian's spot, and coach Park Hang-seo will have two quality goalkeepers as front runners to choose from, with Nguyen Van Toan, who had some disappointing moments at the 2019 SEA Games, the third option.

Filip Nguyen has expressed his desire to play for Vietnam several times, professing his love for the country and hoping to be part of the national team for the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.