Foreign players 'turn around', Song Lam Nghe An faces difficulties again
Song Lam Nghe An's plan was to select foreign players who had fought in V.League. But that plan seems to be falling apart as the foreign players have turned around one after another.
After the 2024-2025 season ends,Lam River Nghe AnThere have been major changes in the squad, especially in the foreign players. The two names that had to leave Vinh Stadium were striker Benjamin Kuku and center back Sebastian Zaracho. Both failed to meet professional expectations, causing Song Lam Nghe An to face many difficulties in the relegation race. The leadership of the Nghe An team decided to keep only one foreign player: Michael Olaha - the Nigerian striker who has been an important player in the attack of Song Lam Nghe An for many seasons.
Retaining only Michael Olaha is considered a reasonable decision, because in a team with a limited budget like Song Lam Nghe An, every foreign player slot must be fully utilized. The Nigerian striker is not only the main scorer but also the soul in attacking situations, a support for the young players in the squad.
However, parting with two foreign players means that the Nghe An team must urgently look for three new names to complete the squad for the 2025-2026 season. The names rumored to arrive at Vinh Stadium are all players with experience in the V.League: Washington Brandão, Joseph Onoja and Gustavo Sant'Ana Santos. If they successfully recruit all three, Song Lam Nghe An will have a squad capable of competing in the highest level of Vietnamese football.
However, life is not like a dream. All three deals fell through, completely disrupting the plans of the coaching staff and team leaders.
The first person to say no was Joseph Onoja. The Nigerian midfielder was expected to join Song Lam Nghe An after his contract in Iraq ended. However, at the last minute, he decided to renew with Naft Al-Basra SC, leaving the Nghe An team unable to react. With his good physique, stamina and fighting ability, Onoja was expected to be a "sweeper" in the midfield - an important piece that Song Lam Nghe An was missing.
Next is Washington Brandão, a veteran striker who has played in the V.League for many years. Although highly regarded for his expertise and experience, this deal quickly fell into a deadlock due to financial problems. Song Lam Nghe An could not meet the salary requirements of the Brazilian player. In addition, Brandão's age (about to turn 35) also made the coaching staff somewhat hesitant to place their trust in him long-term.
The most regrettable of the three names to mention isGustavo Sant'Ana Santos. The Brazilian midfielder was very close to Vinh Stadium. Many sources said that he and Song Lam Nghe An had reached a verbal agreement, even waiting for the day to sign the contract. However, at the last minute, Gustavo Santos "turned around" to join SHB Da Nang, leaving the Nghe An team disappointed.
The failure to sign Gustavo Santos is considered a heavy blow to Song Lam Nghe An’s ambition to build a solid defense next season. Because more than anyone else, the coaching staff hopes that the Brazilian midfielder will become the “new leader” to fill the void left by the domestic defenders. His last-minute “flip” forced the team to start over in the selection of foreign players.
Unable to recruit any of the players on the target list, Song Lam Nghe An was forced to change direction. Accordingly, it is highly likely that the Nghe An team will continue to pursue brand new foreign players who have never played in the V.League. This is a risky move, because if these names do not meet expectations, the team will fall into the situation of "burning money in vain", like some recent cases.
However, this option is also unavoidable in the context that Song Lam Nghe An is not a team with strong financial potential. It is difficult to compete with the big teams in V.League in terms of remuneration, the Nghe team is forced to find its own way, hoping for "rough diamonds" or cheap but highly effective deals.
While the transfer market is bustling, Song Lam Nghe An is in a passive situation. This unintentionally slows down the preparation process for the new season. With less than 1 month left until the official start of V.League 2025-2026, the Vinh Stadium team is racing against time to complete the squad.
V.LeagueNext season is expected to be extremely fierce with the return of SHB Da Nang, the rise of new recruit Ninh Binh Club, along with the increasingly strong investment of big teams. If the force is not stabilized soon, especially in the foreign player positions, Song Lam Nghe An will face many difficulties in the goal of relegation and further, competing for a position in the middle group.