SLNA "warrior" wears captain's armband

(Baonghean) - "I am not surprised that Que Ngoc Hai was chosen by Coach Miura to be the captain of the Vietnam U23 team for the upcoming tournaments. Because when competing, Hai is very brave, mature and passionate, completely opposite to his gentle personality in real life", Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong, the first teacher to select and train Que Ngoc Hai, commented on his student.

Que Ngoc Hai (15) in the Vietnam national team jersey. Photo: Internet

“I know Ngoc Hai is a player with a mature mindset and works very hard in training and competing. One of the reasons Hai is successful professionally is that Hai always knows how to outline a plan for himself to strive for and achieve. I often watch many students compete and I am impressed with Que Ngoc Hai's maturity. But I am not surprised because since I was still teaching Hai, he has shown the qualities of a good player. Ngoc Hai's playing style has "Nghe" flowing in it, so Hai has very brave and strong cutting moves. This creates confidence for his teammates to compete", coach Nguyen Thanh Cong constantly praised his former student.

Que Ngoc Hai was born in 1993 in Dien Chau, Nghe An. When he was only 1 year old, Ngoc Hai's parents had to leave their little son with his grandparents and go to Vinh City to earn a living. At the age of 5, Ngoc Hai was taken to Vinh by his parents. Since childhood, the boy born in 1993 showed his talent for the round ball and was selected for the school's soccer team. In grade 5, Ngoc Hai was accepted into the SLNA training center as a striker.

But fate "pressed" Que Ngoc Hai into the position of center back after just a normal training session (because Hai's team that day lacked a center back, so coach Nguyen Thanh Cong arranged for him to fill in). The center back position helped Hai develop in the right direction and gradually gain a solid position in SLNA's youth teams. By 2013, he was selected by coach Nguyen Huu Thang to play in the V-League's first team. Up to that point, Ngoc Hai was the youngest player in SLNA to wear a professional shirt at the age of 18. Not letting down the head coach, Ngoc Hai quickly matured and won the trust to win an official position in the defense of Nghe An team. That was also the springboard for Hai to develop and take a big step forward in his career when he was called up to the U23 Vietnam team and the national team.

In the match between SLNA and HN T&T on the afternoon of February 6 at Vinh Stadium, Coach Miura was present in the VIP stands to watch the match. And when the reporter asked the question “Which player impressed you the most?” he did not hesitate to answer “defender number 4 Ngoc Hai”.

Que Ngoc Hai said that the idol that influenced his playing style was Coach Nguyen Huu Thang. And Coach Huu Thang also highly appreciated his former student: “Hai has a very mature playing style. In terms of expertise, Hai possesses a brave playing style, not afraid of collision. In particular, Hai has a good mindset to read the match situation, so he always wins in aerial battles or confrontations with tall foreign players. Besides, a fiery fighting spirit is indispensable for players in the defense line. It is because of this playing style that Hai can easily play in many positions on the field. And gradually, Hai has a "voice" with his teammates. I think that is the reason why Coach Miura chose Ngoc Hai to wear the captain's armband of the U23 Vietnam team."

Previously, Ngoc Hai was assigned by coach Huu Thang to play as a central defender, then when he joined the national team, coach Miura assigned him as a right-back. In a position that requires speed and physical strength to attack and defend, Ngoc Hai not only played well but also performed excellently in his new role. In the 2015 V-League, he was trusted to play in the new position of defensive midfielder. "His ability to stick well, work hard in matches, and his ability to read situations well, so I used Hai as a defensive midfielder, an important position for every team. I was not surprised when Hai was chosen as captain of the U23 Vietnam team," commented coach Ngo Quang Truong.

With a mature playing style, Que Ngoc Hai was chosen by coach Miura to take on the captain position. This will be the motivation for Ngoc Hai to play better and show his full potential.

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