The recruits must be physically fit and have an aptitude for football. They must also want to advance their career in football and get approval from their families for 7-year training and practice in Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyen Xuan Lam, managing director of PVF, said that the fund will have 100 new recruits drill for three months in HCM City under the guidance of both foreign and Vietnamese coaches.

By August 2009, PVF will select the best 50 participants for official regular training, which is free of charge.

In order to turn out footballers of international stature, the fund will cooperate with advanced training centres in Europe and employ their methods, textbooks and trainers.

The first young footballers from this class are expected to graduate in 2016.