Vietnamese-American player Nguyễn Hoyt Lê Cao Zan. — Photo giaoducthoidai.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese-American player Nguyễn Hoyt Lê Cao Zan is actively seeking Vietnamese citizenship with hopes of participating in the SEA Games 2025.

Standing at an impressive height of 1.9 metres, the centre back plays for HCM City FC and has attracted attention for his strong, physical playing style.

Born in 2006 in the US to a Vietnamese father and an American mother, he is currently in the process of obtaining Vietnamese nationality and hopes to be called up for the Vietnamese U22 national team at the upcoming SEA Games 33.

In an interview, he said that he is working with a lawyer to expedite the citizenship process, which may take up to a year. During this time, he is focused on personal development and improving his skills.

Zan has trained rigorously from a young age and has competed against strong teams, including youth squads from New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls. Despite the presence of many talented peers in Việt Nam, he remains confident in his abilities, believing his height gives him a competitive edge.

He expressed that being called to the national team would be a great honour, and that he feels he could make a difference for both the U22 and the national team.

Before returning to Việt Nam, Zan played at the Seacoast United academy, playing in the MLS Next, the top youth soccer league in the US. HCM City FC is actively seeking Vietnamese players abroad without citizenship, and they plan to use this for the upcoming V.League 1 season.

Coach Phùng Thanh Phương said that HCM City Club, which is helping him with his citizen application, discovered Zan by chance when he returned to Việt Nam for a holiday. When he learnt more about Vietnamese football, he decided against college in the US to pursue a football career in his homeland. VNS