HCM CITY — The final shortlist of candidates for the most prestigious football prizes in Viet Nam includes one naturalised player, it was announced yesterday in HCM City.

The naturalised citizen, Huynh Kesley, 31, who has been playing football in Viet Nam since 2005 and received Vietnamese citizenship in 2009, is one of five candidates for the men's Golden Ball award.

He will compete with four other players, Song Lam Nghe An's Nguyen Trong Hoang, SHB Da Nang's Nguyen Minh Phuong, Ha Noi FC's Pham Thanh Luong, and Ha Noi T&T's Nguyen Van Quyet.

Kesley has made great contributions to Vietnamese football since he joined Becamex Binh Duong in 2005. He helped Binh Duong win two V-League titles in 2007 and 2008.

At the continental level, the Brazilian-born striker has also been a main factor, scoring eight goals when Binh Duong reached the semi-finals at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, the furthest stage that any Vietnamese club has achieved.

After leaving Binh Duong, he joined Sai Gon Xuan Thanh (now Sai Gon FC) in the First Division and became the key player in the club's promotion to the V-League and its rise to current third place in its first season.

Despite his achievements, his chances of winning the Golden Ball award may be hurt because he has not contributed much to the Vietnamese national team, playing only one time in 2009.

Hoang, an attacking midfielder, seems to be the most likely candidate for the award as he was one of the key players in his club's first V-League title for the first time in 10 years.

At the national level, he has been an irreplaceable player in the midfield both in the U-23 and senior teams. He scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over Kuwait in a friendly and one goal in the 2-1 win over Qatar in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Quyet, an attacking midfielder, is another strong candidate for the annual award. The young midfielder has shown a brilliant performance in his very first V-League season, making great contributions to his club, given that he was only 20 years old.

Phuong, central midfielder and captain of Da Nang, deserves to be in the final shortlist as he, despite his retirement from national duty, has been the central figure in the midfield, delivering the decisive assists to many important goals for Da Nang.

He is also a model for young players because of his scandal-free lifestyle.

Pham Thanh Luong is probably the least likely contender for the award which he won last year.

The diminutive player has not done well with his club, which was demoted to the First Division. His influence at the national team has not been strong, as Viet Nam was eliminated in the second round in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.

For the best Foreign Player of the Year, South African striker Kubheka Philani could have been a serious challenger for Argentine striker Gaston Merlo of Da Nang if his club Binh Duong had finished in the top three last season.

For the best Young Player of the Year award, Ha Noi T&T's Quyet was far better than his only competitor Ngo Hoang Thinh.

On the women's side, Le Thi Thuong, Tran Thi Kim Hong, Nguyen Thi Muon, Dang Thi Kieu Trinh, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh are the finalists for the Golden Ball award. — VNS