HOT: Croatian prodigy born in 2008 joins Vietnam national team

Forward Antonio Moric has joined the Vietnam U19 squad for his first-ever call-up to the national team.

On March 16 morning, the Vietnam U19 national team officially assembled in Hanoi to begin their first training camp of 2026. The gathering attracted attention with the participation of two overseas Vietnamese players: forward Antonio Moric and goalkeeper Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka.

From early morning, goalkeeper Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka arrived at the Vietnam Football Federation. This goalkeeper impressed with his outstanding height of 1.96 meters. Nhat Ka currently plays for Ryukei University Football Club in Japan and previously trained with the Vietnam U20 team during a training camp in Japan in 2024.

Shortly afterward, Antonio Moric also arrived at the VFF headquarters, right after returning from Europe. The 2008-born player was brought by his family in a private car, meeting the coaching staff and his new teammates at Vietnam U19 for the first time.

Moric was born in Hanoi and officially holds a Vietnamese passport, thus qualifying to play for national team levels. He is of Vietnamese-Croatian descent, with a Croatian father and a Vietnamese mother. Currently, Moric plays for NK Trnje club in Croatia. With a height of 1.81 meters, this young player is highly regarded for his versatile playing ability, capable of playing as a central midfielder or as a winger on both sides.

Moric's connection with Vietnamese football actually began about five years ago, when he returned to Hanoi to participate in a U13 age-group tournament. Here, the young player performed outstandingly and won the "Best Player" award, demonstrating notable development potential from a young age.

In this training camp, the Vietnam U19 team has called up a total of 31 players. This is seen as an important initial step in preparations for the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship and further ahead for the 2027 Asian U20 qualifiers, while also providing an opportunity for the coaching staff to review and evaluate the young talent.

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