Youth - Children Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup - Where the dreams of midfielder Song Lam Nghe An come true

Tran Nam Hai scored in the opening match of V.League 2023. Photo: Chung Le

Where dreams come true

We had an appointment with Tran Nam Hai in this player's private room at the Club.Lam River Nghe An. Small room less than 20m², so there is not enough space for the midfielder from Thanh Chuong to display the medals he has won during his playing days at the Song Lam Nghe An youth teams. However, the small photo capturing the moment Nam Hai celebrated a goal with his teammates at the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament is still kept by him in a solemn corner.

When we asked about Nam Hai's memories of that tournament, the midfielder from Song Lam Nghe An excitedly said: "When I was 10 years old, I was noticed by the coaches at the Sports Center of Thanh Chuong District. At that time, I was very passionate about football, and I also had some talent, so I was able to participate in any tournament organized by the school or district. This is where the teachers in the district discovered my ability and selected me to join the Thanh Chuong District Children's Team to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup."

The first time that the boy from the countryside set foot in Vinh city, a place that brought him completely new things. There were many experiences when Nam Hai participated in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup, but there was one memory that he would never forget, that was when he watched the Song Lam Nghe An players practice. The images that Nam Hai had only seen before on the small screen, now stars like Que Ngoc Hai, Khac Ngoc, Tran Phi Son... all appeared before his eyes. Nam Hai thought it was like a dream, he closed his eyes and wished that one day he would become a famous star like them.

Tran Nam Hai always tries his best to practice to gain the trust of the coaching staff of Song Lam Nghe An. Photo: Duc Anh

And that was the motivation that urged the boy from Thanh Chuong to become a professional football player. Nam Hai's desire was transferred to the matches of the Youth Football Tournament - Children's Cup of Nghe An Newspaper. Playing in the defender position, the player born in 2004 played outstandingly and was considered the best player of the Thanh Chuong Children's team that day. Not only did he do well in the blocking role, Nam Hai also left his mark when he scored a beautiful goal for the Thanh Chuong Children's team. Although that year, Nam Hai's team did not advance far in the tournament, this player still caught the eye of the scouts of Song Lam Nghe An. And the dream of becoming a professional player became a reality when Nam Hai was accepted into the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center.

“The Nghe An Newspaper Cup is the launching pad that brought me to my dream of becoming a professional football player. Without the Nghe An Newspaper Cup, I would never have dared to dream of wearing the yellow jersey of my hometown team. The images of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup will always be in my memory” - Tran Nam Hai shared.

First impression at Song Lam Nghe An team 1

Entering the youth training center of Song Lam Nghe An, Tran Nam Hai was arranged to play in the defense. However, at U14, under the guidance of coach Phan Nhu Thuat, Nam Hai was promoted to the role of anchor midfielder.

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat said: “When taking over U14 Song Lam Nghe An, I realized that Nam Hai has the qualities to play in the midfielder position. Playing there, he will be able to fully develop his abilities. Nam Hai is a player with technique, thinking, good kicking with both feet, especially his physique is ideal. Those are Nam Hai's strengths, if trained well, Nam Hai will go far in the future”.

During his time playing football at the youth level of Song Lam Nghe An, Nam Hai has achieved many commendable achievements. These include winning the National U15 and U17 Gold Medals; 2 National U19 Bronze Medals.

With his ability, Nam Hai caught the attention of coach Huy Hoang. He quickly joined the first team of Song Lam Nghe An when he was only 18 years old. Nam Hai is considered the youngest player of Song Lam Nghe An at the present time.

The fierce V.League environment sometimes made Nam Hai lack confidence in himself, but with will and effort, this player was named in the lineup of Song Lam Nghe An. The match between Song Lam Nghe An and Thanh Hoa in the second leg of V.League 2022 was the first match that Nam Hai appeared in the fiercest football tournament in Vietnam. At that time, Nam Hai entered the field from the bench, only 15 minutes of experience in the top football environment, but gave the midfielder born in 2004 unforgettable memories.

“I was really overwhelmed, because I had never played football in front of such a large crowd. I lost confidence in the beginning, so I didn’t leave much of an impression. However, those were valuable experiences that helped me grow in the future.”

After nearly a year of getting acquainted with the V.League arena, Nam Hai entered the new season with remarkable maturity. Now, the player from Thanh Chuong can confidently play football under pressure from foreign players and top Vietnamese stars. After 5 rounds of V.League 2023, Nam Hai has left a strong impression in the memories of fans. He scored his first goal in the highest football tournament in Vietnam in the match between Song Lam Nghe An and SHB Da Nang in the first round of the 2023 season. That goal showed Nam Hai's tactical vision, sensitivity and powerful shooting ability.

Tran Nam Hai shared: “That was my first goal in V.league. This goal will give me more confidence to continue on the career path I have chosen.”

Tran Nam Hai (far right) in the U20 Vietnam shirt.

After impressing in the colors of Song Lam Nghe An, Nam Hai caught the attention of coach Hoang Anh Tuan - U20 Vietnam. Entering the 2023 U20 Asian Cup, Nam Hai was proud to be named in the Golden Star team. However, the short time of training with the team was not enough for this midfielder to fully understand the philosophy of the U20 Vietnam coach. Therefore, he only had 10 minutes on the field at the end of the match in the National U20 team's colors at the 2023 U20 Asian Cup.

“I will not set any big milestones for myself. I just strive every day, I will try to play as much as possible for my club. I tell myself, today I have to do better than yesterday and hope tomorrow I will reach my dreams” - Tran Nam Hai shared.