Japan's soccer champion worked hard to recruit Nam Tae-hee for two seasons
Yokohama F. Marinos, the defending champion of the J1 League, brought Asian All-Star Nam Tae-hee (32) as a result of his efforts since 2022.
According to the Japanese soccer media "Yokohama Express," Marinos has been tracking trends in Nam Tae-hee since last year. He wanted to leave Alduhail, a team in the Qatar Stars League, to recruit him without a transfer fee.
Nam Tae-hee concluded his 10-season and 12-year relationship with Alduhail twice and signed a contract with Marinos until next season. Japan is ranked third in the 2023-24 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) league rankings and Qatar fifth.
As a member of Alduhail, he won the first division of Qatar in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2023. Alduhail won the Stars League only in 2011 and 2020 without Nam Tae-hee.
"Yokohama Express" said Marinos praised Nam Tae-hee's play style, a veteran of the all-weather second-line resource-rich experience who can wing as well as the clear top rear (aggressive midfielder) that the "Korean national soccer team back No. 10" says.
Nam Tae-hee is a bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics and runner-up at the 2015 Asian Cup. He scored three points and five assists in the FIFA World Cup qualifying round, one in the AFC Asian Cup finals, and one in the Olympic qualifying round.
Nam Tae-hee is the first and still the last Asian player to win the official MVP in the 2016-17 season except Qatar in the history of the Stars League.
Yokohama Express said, "We are continuing to show high-quality techniques with joining the training." He also introduced the Marinos team's response to Nam Tae-hee, saying, "I shoot sharp shots one after another regardless of right and left feet."
Nam Tae-hee contributed to Al-Sad's recapture of the top of the Qatar Stars League for the first time in two years in the 2020-21 season, showing that he can play outside Alduhail, increasing his value on the West Asian stage.
The attack point per 90 minutes of Qatar professional football, including the Cup tournament, is 0.67 and 0.71 if limited to Alduhail. It also proved its international competitiveness by selecting the 2018 and 2019 AFC Champions League All-Star for the second consecutive time.
It was also with Nam Tae-hee that Alduhail succeeded in advancing to the round of 16 and the semifinals of the 2022 season for the fifth consecutive year in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League in the 2015-2019 season.
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