Song Lam Nghe An Competition - Pride of Nghe An: 'Precious gem' of Nghe An football!

(Baonghean) - Ronaldo and Messi are idols of many Vietnamese fans, because they are top stars of contemporary football. I am no exception, having been happy and sad with my idols on the other side of Europe for many years. But now, those emotions are being shared with another "idol" - Center back and midfielder Que Ngoc Hai.

Ngoc Hai, like many other children, often entertained himself by playing soccer with his older brother Ngoc Manh when his parents were away. Then, fate and luck brought the boy born in 1993 to fame with his hometown team when he caught the eye of SLNA scouts when he was in 5th grade. In indescribable joy, his parents brought him to Vinh Stadium for training.

Que Ngoc Hai's "sincere and painful" tears at SEA Games 2015.

Remember, in 2011, after winning the V-League, Coach Huu Thang said that SLNA had a young player capable of replacing Huy Hoang in defense. That was Ngoc Hai. However, Ngoc Hai's career officially turned a new page since 2013, when Coach Huu Thang promoted him to the first team to play in the V.League. Under the guidance and training of Coach Huu Thang, Ngoc Hai has made constant progress. Not only did he replace Huy Hoang to become the "steel shield" in front of goalkeeper Nguyen Manh's goal, a spiritual leader at "Fire Pan of Vinh". He also fulfilled his dream of inheriting the number 4 shirt that brought success to Nghe An football. That is not only a source of pride but also a heavy responsibility, requiring Que Ngoc Hai to constantly strive to improve, worthy of the trust of the coaching staff as well as the expectations of his hometown fans. And Que Ngoc Hai did not disappoint everyone.

In the club jersey or on duty with the national team, Ngoc Hai has always proven himself to be a solid defender, the best spiritual support for his teammates. But what made fans love him more was his "sincere" and "painful" tears at the 2015 SEA Games held in Singapore. The image of the captain sitting down, clasping his hands tightly, looking up to the sky and shouting loudly as if he could not believe that U23 Vietnam had lost 1-2 to Myanmar in the semi-final match. If missing the Gold Medal is no longer a strange thing, a haunting thing for Vietnamese football, then Ngoc Hai's "sincere tears" have erased all the sadness from the past until now. Since then, Ngoc Hai has completely won the trust, expectation, love and support of fans.

Que Ngoc Hai wears shirt number 45 to "warn himself"

However, the path from a young talent to becoming the "soul" of SLNA of Que Ngoc Hai was not all rosy. Although the foul on Anh Khoa in the match between SLNA and SHB. Da Nang in V-League 2015 did not pay any attention, Que Ngoc Hai had to receive the strangest "wrongful sentence" in the history of Vietnamese football from above... VFF. Que Ngoc Hai had to scramble to find 800 million VND in compensation, had to live under tons of pressure weighing on his spirit for nearly 6 months (from September 18, 2015 to March 10, 2016). Immediately after the collision, Que Ngoc Hai said, "That was the biggest mistake in my football career so far... I was really shocked. I really regret having caused such a terrible thing".

However, in that difficult situation, with the help of SLNA Club and fans, Que Ngoc Hai overcame the difficulties, he did not fall down but also had a very impressive comeback in both SLNA and the national team. Regardless of SLNA's victory or defeat, he still maintained stable performance, always received absolute trust from the coaching staff and the love and expectations of fans. It was Ngoc Hai's impressive return that helped SLNA avoid the risk of a rapid decline, providing a spiritual support for the home team to dominate and gain points in emotional home matches against the "big guys" B. Binh Duong, FLC Thanh Hoa, SHB. Da Nang...

Que Ngoc Hai in a friendly match with artists to raise funds to support the poor.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Que Ngoc Hai is currently one of the best players in Vietnamese football, the most versatile player that SLNA has. His fierce fighting spirit and effective interceptions have helped the defense become solid. His kicking the ball up to launch attacks has become his own trademark and specialty. Whether in the position of center back, full back or holding midfielder, Ngoc Hai has always completed his tasks excellently with his intelligent playing style. That is what made coach Miura highly praise: "He is a promising player and has proven his ability, so in any position, I believe Hai will play well." All the compliments of the Japanese strategist have been proven by Ngoc Hai throughout the past time, in the national team jersey, especially on the V-League front.

“A versatile player”, “a spiritual leader, the soul of SLNA”, “a precious gem of Nghe An football”, … and many other beautiful words are given to Ngoc Hai by fans not only in Nghe An but also across the country. It seems that only Ngoc Hai receives such special “favor” from the country’s football fans in general and Nghe An fans in particular.

Kim Thuy