Hoang Anh Gia Lai signs contract with Vietnamese-Thai goalkeeper

On its homepage, Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club confirmed the signing of a contract with Thai-Vietnamese goalkeeper Chaloongphum Phong, born October 29, 2009.

This goalkeeper is 1m87 tall even though he is only 16 years old. Chaloongphum Phong has a Thai father and a Vietnamese mother. He started playing football at the age of 7 and attended famous Thai training centers such as Suphanburi FC, Bangkok Glass FC, Nonthaburi United, Paris Saint Germain Academy Thailand. This goalkeeper is fluent in English, Vietnamese and Thai.

However, Chaloongphum Phong cannot play in V.League for many different reasons. Firstly, the mid-season transfer period of V.League 2024/25 has ended a long time ago, Hoang Anh Gia Lai cannot register new players. Secondly, Chaloongphum Phong is still too young, letting him play in such a harsh arena is not a good option.

In fact, if one of Hoang Anh Gia Lai's goalkeepers is seriously injured and has to take a long-term break, Chaloongphum Phong can still be registered as a replacement. But it will be difficult for him to compete with his experienced seniors.

Chaloongphum Phong's suitable position will be the starting goalkeeper for the Hoang Anh Gia Lai U17 team with a clear roadmap for professional development.

Recently, V.League football teams have begun to pay more attention to the source of overseas Vietnamese players living in Southeast Asia. Previously, Dong A Thanh Hoa Club announced the signing of a contract with midfielder Damoth Thongkhamsavath - a Vietnamese-Laotian. The midfielder, born in 2004, has Vietnamese grandparents and only holds Lao nationality.

Unlike Chaloongphum Phong, Damoth Thongkhamsavath is a Lao national team player and has shown his ability in the 2024 AFF Cup and the 31st SEA Games. He was also registered by the Thanh team to play in the V.League.

The teams are allowed to use 2 foreign players of Vietnamese origin (overseas Vietnamese). However, it is not easy to find options with good professional quality such as Patrik Le Giang, Nguyen Filip or Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.