Midfielder Khac Ngoc is the 'soul' of Song Lam Nghe An's midfield.
Returning to Song Lam Nghe An from the middle of the 2024 - 2025 season, midfielder Ho Khac Ngoc quickly proved his worth. At the age of 33, he not only showed his class and experience but also became a player with great influence on the team in the current period.
Range image enjoy belong to Notch Horsec
“Khac Ngoc is a very important player for the team. Since his return, he has always maintained stable performance, helping the midfield operate smoothly” - Coach Phan Nhu Thuat affirmed when talking about his student.
In fact, after 3 rounds of the season this year, Khac Ngoc is the name that has made the strongest impression in the squad.Lam River Nghe An.In particular, in the victory against Nam Dinh Blue Steel in round 2, the midfielder born in 1992 showed his class when playing the role of the soul of the midfield.
In that match, Song Lam Nghe An took the field with a 4-4-1-1 formation and chose a defensive counter-attacking style of play. Almost all of the Vinh home team's attacks went through Khac Ngoc, who played the role of conductor. With his skillful technique, he escaped the pressing many times, and with his sharp tactical vision and centimeter-accurate passes, he created effective attacks.
The biggest highlight was the assist for Van Luong in the match against Nam Dinh. In the transition from defense to counter-attack, Khac Ngoc only needed a delicate touch of the outside of his foot to eliminate the entire opponent's defense, placing the ball right on his teammate's trajectory. Van Luong then made a cool chip that defeated goalkeeper Nguyen Manh, equalizing the score and creating a turning point in the match. From that moment, the spirit of the Nghe players rose, continuously creating waves to write a victory considered an "earthquake" on Vinh Stadium.
That victory not only reflected the team's resilience but also affirmed the influence of Khac Ngoc. At the age of 33, he is still the "soul" of SLNA's playing style and will certainly continue to contribute more. Fans believe that with his contribution, the Nghe An team is capable of staying strong in V.League 2025/26.
Class grantand the desire to contribute
Last season, Khac Ngoc played 19 times, scored 3 goals and created many important situations, contributing greatly to Song Lam Nghe An's survival in the V.League. The statistics also show his outstanding role. On average, he had 61 passes per match with an accuracy rate of 84%, of which 8 passes penetrated the opponent's penalty area. In the 8 matches he participated in from round 18, SLNA lost only 2, consecutively defeated Binh Duong, Hai Phong, Quy Nhon Binh Dinh and drew with many strong opponents.
What is special about Khac Ngoc is not only his sharpness in playing but also his ability to guide young players. Along with seniors like Dinh Hoang and Van Khanh, he is passing on his experience to new faces like Ba Quyen, Van Bach, Quang Tu and especially Quang Vinh. This is a 19-year-old midfielder who is maturing rapidly when playing with his seniors. It is the presence of Khac Ngoc that has helped SLNA's playing style become more balanced and creative.
Looking back at his career, Khac Ngoc was a “late bloomer”. Promoted to the first team in 2012, it took him 4 seasons to establish his position, because at that time SLNA’s midfield was too dense with excellent names. At times, the Nghe An-born player was even booed by the audience because of his cumbersome playing style. But with perseverance and belief in his style, from the 2016 season, he became a key factor under coaches Quang Truong and Duc Thang. After that, Khac Ngoc also established his name at Viettel and Nam Dinh, before returning to his old home.
Although he has been repeatedly rated by experts as one of the best central midfielders in V.League, and even noticed by coach Park Hang-seo, Khac Ngoc still missed out on the national team. However, that does not seem to diminish his desire to contribute, especially when returning to the familiar yellow shirt of his homeland.
At the age of 33, he is not only a conductor on the field but also an example of determination, perseverance and a standard lifestyle for young athletes to follow. And with what he has shown, Khac Ngoc deserves to be considered the "soul" and a classy player of the Song Lam Nghe An football team.