Nearly 40 Brazilian players have joined the ranks of foreign footballers playing for the country’s 14 V-League teams, Vietnam Football Federation statistics revealed.

The figure would be higher if the number of Brazilians signed with the lower First Division league was also counted.

Previously dominated by foreign players from Thailand and African countries, the numbers reflect a change that has occurred in the V-League over the past two years.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai had its first V-League success in the 2003-2004 season when the Central Highlands team signed Thai stars Kiatisuk Senamueng, Dusit Chalermsan and Tawan Sripan.

Prior to that, teams drew players from Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, which proved to be a good value for the smaller team coffers in place at the beginning stages of foreign footballers playing in Vietnam.

Overall, the quality of play from teams in V-League has improved thanks to an influx of Brazilian, Thai, Nigerian, Czech and Ghanian players.

Brazilian strikers lead the table of top V-League scorers over the last three years.

Merlo Gaston, who has scored 13 goals for Da Nang after 19 matches, shares top of the best scorers list with Brazilian Lazaro De Souza of Military Zone 4.

Gaston teamed up with fellow countryman Jose De Emidio Almeida, who won the top scorer prize twice, in 2007 and 2008 with 16 and 23 goals respectively, and with Rafael Marquez and Molina Eduardo, who have scored 31 of 36 goals in Da Nang.

Almeida, 28, was also voted best V-League Foreign Player twice, in 2007 and 2008.

Leandro De Oliveira, who was appointed captain of Hai Phong Cement early this year, has been one of the best playmakers among foreign footballers in Vietnam.

The Brazilian maestro of the northern port city scored eight goals and has been paired with Elenildo De Jesus, the 2006 Best Scorer, to provide even more power for Hai Phong.

Last month, Hai Phong signed Brazilian football star Denilson de Oliveira Araujo for the second half of the V-League season, but the former World Cup winner ended his contract after only one game in three weeks because of a leg injury that has yet to recover.

Other Brazilian players have made significant contributions to their teams.

Rogerio Pereira, 30, considered a tireless Da Nang midfielder, settled in the central city after being granted Vietnamese citizenship.

Pereira has played for Da Nang for over three years and he wants to make a new life in the coastal city with his family.

Brazilian striker Kesley Alves, who was also recently granted Vietnamese citizenship and ranked as top scorer in 2005 with 21 goals for Binh Duong, settled in the southern province and married a woman from HCM City.

The 28-year-old striker joins the list of top V-League goal hunters with eight goals over 19 games for the defending champions.

Keskey was the second Brazilian-born footballer called up by the national team to a training session for the Asian Cup qualifiers.

Last year, goalkeeper Fabio Dos Santos of Dong Tam Long An was also called by Henrique Calisto to practice with the national squad before the ASEAN football championship kicked off last December.

Santos was also the first foreign footballer granted Vietnamese citizenship to take a Vietnamese name: Phan Van Santos.

"I’ve been in Vietnam for six years and I find every thing here to be fine. Vietnamese people are very friendly and I want to do something for Vietnam’s football," Santos said.

"I wish I could build a goalkeeper’s training centre in Vietnam after retirement. I’m 30 and I still have several years to play for Long An."

The Cong, or Army team, coach Le Thuy Hai travelled to Brazil to recruit Vanderlei Lima, Gilson Da Silva and De Olivera.(VNS)