Thai fans are stirred as Vietnam gains a new French-Vietnamese 'recruit'

The news that center-back Nguyen Adou Legley Minh has officially obtained Vietnamese citizenship has drawn attention from Thai fans, as the two football nations continue to compete for the top spot in Southeast Asia.

Hanoi Police Club has just officially confirmed that center-back Nguyen Adou Legley Minh has completed the legal procedures and obtained Vietnamese citizenship. The information was announced right after the capital club secured a historic ticket to the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite.

"Right after securing the historic ticket to the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite, Hanoi Police Club continues to receive another very meaningful piece of news for the journey ahead: Center-back Nguyen Adou Legley Minh has officially completed the legal procedures and obtained Vietnamese citizenship," CAHN announced.

The news quickly became a topic of interest for Thai fans. In the context of fierce competition between Vietnamese and Thai football at the national team level, the emergence of a center-back trained in France has caught the attention of many fans in the Land of Gold.

One Thai fan commented: "Vietnam has another player who grew up in Europe. Adou Minh has already played in the V.League, so he won't need much time to adapt if called up to the national team."

Another account remarked: "Vietnam's defense already has many experienced players. The arrival of Adou Minh will make the competition for positions even more intense."

Another fan from the Land of Gold expressed caution: "This player has Vietnamese blood and was trained in France. Thailand also needs to actively seek more players of Thai descent playing abroad."

Meanwhile, another opinion stated: "Having citizenship does not guarantee he will wear the national team jersey. Adou Minh needs to prove he is better than Vietnam's current center-backs."

The reactions of Thai fans partly show that Vietnam's continuous addition of overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players is receiving special attention in the region. However, Adou Minh cannot immediately join the AFF Cup 2026 currently underway because the registration lists of the teams have already been finalized.

For now, obtaining Vietnamese citizenship allows the 1997-born player to be registered as a domestic player for CAHN. This not only frees up a foreign player slot but also increases the squad depth for coach Alexandre Polking's team in the 2026/27 season.

In the past season, Adou Minh made a total of 24 appearances in all competitions, playing 1,692 minutes, scoring two goals, and providing one assist. The 1.78m tall center-back is highly regarded for his anticipation, positioning, aggressive tackling, and defensive organization.

Adou Minh was born on September 9, 1997, in Grenoble, with a French father and a Vietnamese mother. Before returning to his mother's homeland to play, he played for Grenoble, Annecy, and Racing Besancon. In August 2024, Adou Minh joined Hong Linh Ha Tinh before moving to CAHN in July 2025.

If he continues to show consistent performance in the V.League and Asian competitions, Adou Minh may be considered by coach Kim Sang-sik in future training camps. This is also why Thai fans have already paid attention to the newly naturalized Vietnamese center-back.