Song Lam Nghe An brings Joseph Onoja back to Vietnam?

Joseph Onoja's greatest strength is his impressive physique and physical strength. At the age of 26, this midfielder is at the peak of his career with great stamina and fighting ability. Statistics show that in the last season of the Iraqi National Championship, Joseph Onoja played in 34 out of 38 matches - a number that shows the remarkable endurance of the Nigerian player.

The rare injury record is also a big plus in the contextLam River Nghe Anare often having difficulty with their squad. If the Vinh team signs Onoja, they will almost certainly have a tireless "sweeper" in the midfield - something that not every team in the V.League has.

Not only possessing an impressive physical foundation, Joseph Onoja also has a huge advantage of having played football in Vietnam. In the 2023/2024 season, he played for Becamex Binh Duong. Although he has not left a prominent mark in terms of attacking statistics, Onoja's presence in the midfield still brings solidity to the defense of the team from Thu Dau Mot.

Another favorable factor is that Onoja is a compatriot of Michael Olaha - one of the attacking pillars of Song Lam Nghe An. The fact that both are Nigerians and have played in the V.League will certainly help Onoja quickly adapt to the new environment, especially in the context that the Nghe team is in dire need of stability in the early stages of the season.

The presence of Joseph Onoja, if realized, will bring many positive changes to the way Song Lam Nghe An operates. This player born in 1998 can play the role of intercepting, recovering the ball and supporting defense from a distance, thereby creating conditions for attacking midfielders like Ho Khac Ngoc or Nguyen Quang Vinh to freely develop their creativity.

Not only that, Joseph Onoja can also play as a center back or full back if needed. That versatility makes him a very effective "firefighting" option in case the Nghe An team faces a personnel crisis due to injury or punishment.

However,Joseph Onojais not without weaknesses. His playing style is based on strength and he is not afraid of collisions, which often causes him to get cards. In 15 matches for Becamex Binh Duong, the Nigerian midfielder has received 6 yellow cards. In the most recent season in Iraq, he also received 9 yellow cards and 1 red card - which caused him to be suspended for many important matches.

In addition, Joseph Onoja's ability to contribute to the attack is quite limited. In 16 matches in the V.League, he did not have any goals or assists. In Iraq, although he played more, his achievements were only 3 assists after 34 matches - an unimpressive number for a modern central midfielder.

That also means, if Song Lam Nghe An put their trust in Joseph Onoja, they need to accept that he will not be the type of player who leads the play or creates breakthrough plays. His main role is to sweep, intercept and support the defense – thereby creating a platform for the creative players above.

Despite certain limitations, in the situation where Song Lam Nghe An needs to increase depth and solidity in the midfield, Joseph Onoja is clearly a reasonable choice. Experience playing in many different environments, the ability to adapt quickly to V.League and fiery fighting qualities are big pluses for the Nigerian midfielder.

If the deal is completed, Song Lam Nghe An can be much more assured about the midfield area - which has been their weak point during the final stage of last season. And who knows, with the support from Onoja, Ho Khac Ngoc and his teammates will have more space to excel, bringing an explosive season forNghe An football team.