Fred Friday has completed a move from Hai Phong FC to V.League 1 rivals Ninh Binh FC, signing a contract that runs from 2026-02-02 to 2027-12-31. The Nigeria centre-forward joins his new club on a standard transfer, with his current market value listed at €225k.
The switch keeps the 30-year-old in Vietnam’s top flight, confirming that he will continue his career abroad rather than returning to his home country, Nigeria. Friday moves directly within the V.League 1, leaving Hai Phong FC for Ninh Binh FC after a year in which his market value rose from €175k to €225k, underlining his status as a proven attacking option in the division. No official transfer fee has been disclosed for the deal.
Friday arrives at Ninh Binh FC with extensive experience across multiple leagues. Standing 1.90m tall and preferring his right foot, he is registered primarily as a centre-forward and has built a career that has taken him from Nigeria to Norway, the Netherlands, Israel and now Vietnam. Before his spell in V.League 1, he represented Lillestrøm SK and Strømsgodset IF in Norway and played in the Dutch Eredivisie for AZ Alkmaar and loan clubs Sparta Rotterdam and Twente Enschede FC, as well as turning out for Beitar Jerusalem in Israel.
His career path began in Nigeria with Calabar Rovers FC, Gabros International FC and Bujoc FC, before moving to Lillestrøm SK in 2013. A subsequent transfer to AZ Alkmaar in 2016 saw his market value peak at €1.5m, reflecting his emergence as a promising attacking prospect in European football. Loan spells at Sparta Rotterdam and Twente followed, then a free-agent period before he rebuilt his standing at Strømsgodset IF from 2021. Another stint without a club preceded his move to Beitar Jerusalem, and after leaving the Israeli side he again became a free agent before Hai Phong FC brought him to Vietnam in early 2025.
At Hai Phong FC, Friday’s performances were strong enough to trigger a steady recovery in his valuation, climbing back up to €225k by late 2025. That trajectory, coupled with his experience in several competitive leagues, has now earned him a fresh opportunity at Ninh Binh FC, who are also competing in V.League 1 and aiming to strengthen their attacking options with a physically imposing, internationally seasoned striker.
The structure of the deal means Friday’s future beyond 2027-12-31 is open. Should he see out his contract and not extend, he would be in line to become a free agent again, a situation he has navigated several times in his career. For now, though, the focus is on his immediate impact at Ninh Binh FC and how his presence can lift their fortunes in Vietnam’s top division.
With top-flight experience in Norway, the Netherlands, Israel and now Vietnam, Friday’s move underlines a career defined by adaptation and persistence. Remaining abroad in V.League 1 keeps him on an international stage and offers another platform to reassert his qualities as a reliable centre-forward, while also leaving the door open for future moves once his current contract reaches its conclusion.
