Kesley Alves and his wife

Kesley Alves did not apply for Vietnamese citizenship because his club wanted a domestic player.

Now that he has got it, he is not only delighted, but also nursing hopes that he will have a chance to represent his new country on the international stage.

The 27-year-old Brazilian was granted Vietnamese citizenship on February 5, a day before his club Binh Duong’s opening V-League encounter against Nam Dinh. Binh Duong won the match by a solitary goal.

Speaking to Thanh Nien after the match, Kesley said, “Now Vietnam is my second homeland. I am most proud to be a Vietnamese citizen.

“I will do my best for the success of Binh Duong Club and will play for Vietnam’s national team if I have a chance.

“I can speak some Vietnamese. I can read some books in Vietnamese; but I can listen better than I speak, which helps me be confident about life here in Vietnam.”

Having chosen his wife’s family name as his, the Brazilian’s full name now is Huynh Kesley Alves.

“I have been waiting for it for several months. My club Binh Duong and especially my wife encouraged me to apply for the Vietnamese nationality.

“I have been enjoying my life here. Vietnamese people are very friendly and romantic. Life here is not very different from that in Brazil.”

His wife, Huynh Thi Le Loc, a stage lighting director, said, “We fell in love and got married in 2005 and I have found Kesley very sincere. He wants to spend most of his life here. Until three years ago, I hadn’t mentioned anything about Vietnamese nationality.

“Last year, he suddenly asked me whether it would be okay for him to become a Vietnamese citizen. I was a bit surprised and asked him if he had thought about it carefully. Kesley replied in Vietnamese without hesitation that he loves this country and is very interested in playing football in Vietnam and he wants to do something for Vietnamese football.”

A simple life

Kesley lives with his wife in a rented apartment near his club’s Go Dau Stadium in Binh Duong, which is very convenient for him.

The Brazilian Vietnamese and his wife are going to welcome a son next month.

“My husband has a very simple but romantic life with me,” Loc said. “In his free time, Kesley reads the Bible as he is a Protestant and there are few Protestant churches in Vietnam.

“He loves watching TV programs in Vietnamese and often searches the net for information about Vietnam as well as Brazil.

“We sometimes visit friends and relatives in Ho Chi Minh City or travel somewhere. I stay in Binh Duong for just a few days a week as I am very busy at work; but he calls me often or sends me messages.”

Kesley says, “After a match, I love to have a dish of roasted meat and canh chua (sour soup) cooked by my wife; or we go out to eat dishes like pho (Vietnamese noodle) or cha gio (spring rolls). Vietnamese dishes are delicious and good for people like me.”

Football career in Vietnam

Kesley, who represented the Matsubara Club in Brazil, started playing for Binh Duong in 2004, and in the very first season, won the best scorer award with 21 goals.

Following this success, “I was invited by many big clubs. Professional players always want to be recognized as excellent with lucrative contracts and high salaries.

“However, after playing for Hoang Anh Gia Lai for a year, I found it not easy to play football in Vietnam. Apart from the value of the brand name of the club, other invisible elements put great pressure on a player. Therefore, I returned to Binh Duong to be in a more comfortable atmosphere so I can play better.”

After his club lost to Dong Thap in the V-League second round last week, Kesley said, “Some fans complained we were not performing to our best form. I just expect everyone to be sympathetic to me and my teammates.

“It was scorching hot at Cao Lanh Stadium then. The match started at 3:30 p.m. and we had to get to the field at 2 p.m. It’s not fair. We usually start playing at 5 or 6 p.m. at our Binh Duong Club’s Go Dau Stadium.”

Reported by Quang Tuyen