Who is the overseas Vietnamese star about to return home to compete?

The story of overseas Vietnamese players in Vietnamese women's football is getting hotter, as both Chelsea players Le and Ashley TonThat Tram Anh are playing well for the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club.

Both returned to Vietnam to compete for the Ho Chi Minh City women's team under short-term contracts in the quarter-finals of the 2024-2025 Asian Cup C1, helping the Vietnamese representative defeat Abu Dhabi Country with a score of 5-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Asian playground for the first time in history.

Chelsea Le (yellow shirt) shines at Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club

PHOTO: MINH TU

After that, both continued to play well in the 2025 National Cup, especially Chelsea Le with 3 important goals, helping the Ho Chi Minh City women's team win the championship with a perfect record. The contracts of Chelsea Le and Ashley Tram Anh have both expired. The two players returned to the US to continue pursuing their studies and personal plans.

However, the 2025 National Women's Football Championship is likely to continue to welcome the influx of overseas Vietnamese players. According to Thanh Nien Newspaper, Thai Nguyen T&T Club is interested in recruiting Chelsea Le. The current runner-up of the National Cup wants to strengthen its squad, with the goal of conquering the National Women's Football Championship (last season Thai Nguyen T&T finished third).

Thai Nguyen T&T Club has talked to Chelsea Le's family to make initial arrangements. However, not only wanting Chelsea Le, the tea-land team also wants to recruit Kyah Le, Chelsea Le's younger sister.

In 2019, Kyah Le and Chelsea Le returned to Vietnam to "try out" for the Vietnam U.19 women's team. Both sisters quickly convinced the coaching staff with their basic techniques and good physique, breakthrough ball control thinking, and modern maneuvering and attack deployment.

"I want to send a message to Chelsea Le and Kyah Le's families that both of them have a lot of potential. I hope the families will create conditions for Chelsea Le and Kyah Le to return to Vietnam to practice and compete regularly," Coach Mai Duc Chung shared with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters 6 years ago.

Kyah Le can return to Vietnam to compete

PHOTO: HOAI VU

Like Chelsea Le, Kyah Le is a "gem" that grew up in the American school football system. This is the world's leading school football system , having produced many famous stars.

At the 2023 World Cup, with the core of players trained in American and European school football, the Philippine women's team defeated host New Zealand with a score of 1-0. This is also a historic victory for Philippine women's football on the world stage.

Chelsea Le's assertion at the Ho Chi Minh City women's team also motivated her family to bring Kyah Le back to Vietnam to compete.

Kyah Le's Ability

Kyah Le currently plays in Division 1 in the American high school soccer system. She plays for Utah Tech (Chelsea Le plays for Gonzaga University). According to Mr. Lam Le, both his daughters Chelsea Le and Kyah Le aspire to play for the Vietnamese women's team.

Coach Mai Duc Chung confirmed to Thanh Nien Newspaper reporter : "The Vietnamese women's team always welcomes overseas Vietnamese players. We hope they will return to the country to compete and prove themselves. When the female players have citizenship, I will call them up to the team to verify their abilities."

However, the naturalization process needs to be proactively carried out by the family. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Sports Department and the Vietnam Football Federation can only support some procedures.

Vietnamese women's football needs "gems" like Chelsea Le (right)

PHOTO: MINH TU

"For overseas Vietnamese players to return to the country to play for the national team, it first depends on their choice. As in the case of Chelsea Le, this player has affirmed her ability at the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club. If the professional board of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), most importantly coach Mai Duc Chung, highly appreciates Chelsea Le, the VFF can send a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Sports Administration to ask for support in naturalization procedures for Chelsea Le," said Dr. Bui Thi Hien Luong, in charge of football at the Vietnam Sports Administration.

According to Mr. Lam Le, the family has tried to naturalize Chelsea Le and Kyah Le, but has not been able to due to problems. Hopefully, in the near future, when Chelsea Le and Kyah Le return to the country and continue to play well, with the support of the sports industry, both sisters will achieve their dream of playing for the Vietnamese women's national team.

The Vietnamese women's team gathered on May 6 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. On May 16, the team played a friendly match with Werder Bremen women's club at Hang Day Stadium. In June, the women's team went to Japan for a 10-day training session, then returned to Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho province) to compete in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers. Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team were in the same group as the UAE, Maldives and Guam Island.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bong-da-nu-viet-nam-sap-don-them-viet-kieu-guong-mat-cuc-hay-va-quen-thuoc-185250425111246287.htm