The naturalized Brazilian midfielder is absent from the Vietnam national team

The newly naturalized midfielder Đỗ Hoàng Hên was not listed in the Vietnam national team squad for this November's training session.

On November 6th, head coach Kim Sang Sik announced the 23-player Vietnam squad gathering to prepare for the match against Laos in the second leg of the 2027 Asian Cup final qualifying round. The team will assemble on November 10th in Việt Trì (Phú Thọ) and is scheduled to travel to Laos on November 15th.

Notably, this camp sees the return of Xuân Son, the naturalized striker of the Vietnam team, officially called up after 10 months sidelined due to injury. It is known that Xuân Son recovered faster than expected. However, unfortunately, the duo of Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên will not reunite this time.

Initially, there was information suggesting that Đỗ Hoàng Hên (Hendrio) might be called up to the camp even though he was not yet eligible to play for Vietnam in the match against Laos. The Brazilian-born midfielder would have the chance to get familiar with his national teammates and work with coach Kim Sang Sik. However, in this call-up list, Đỗ Hoàng Hên’s name was absent.

Đỗ Hoàng Hên officially obtained Vietnamese citizenship on October 17th. Coach Kim Sang Sik and the Vietnam Football Federation had requested support for Hendrio’s naturalization. This shows that the Korean strategist intended to have Đỗ Hoàng Hên serve the Vietnam team. Nevertheless, Hoàng Hên still needs to prove his abilities.

In recent V-League rounds, Đỗ Hoàng Hên has continuously shined by scoring important goals for Hanoi FC. Despite a long break from playing, the Brazilian-born midfielder still demonstrated his class. Unfortunately, he was not included in this training camp. However, by March, when eligible, he is very likely to be given an opportunity.

The foreign duo who once terrified the entire V-League while playing for Nam Định FC, Rafaelson and Hendrio, are about to reunite in the Vietnam national team colors with new names Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên. The synergy and harmony in play between Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên are expected to significantly strengthen Vietnam’s attack when both can play together in March 2026 against Malaysia.