Vietnam Team vs Bangladesh: A Fake Match, A Real Match

Five days before hosting their frequent rival Malaysia, Coach Kim Sang Sik's team will have a training match against Bangladesh at Hang Day Stadium.

The last time Bangladesh won was when they defeated India 1-0 in an Asian Cup 2027 qualifying match held in mid-November 2025 at home. Before that, they consistently drew or lost against other teams, and theoretically, they are not stronger than Nepal and Hong Kong (China).

Meanwhile, Vietnam has won all five recent matches, including a 3-0 victory over Malaysia. Vietnam's performance since the ASEAN Cup 2024 has been quite impressive.

During the FIFA Days in March 2026, we could not find a stronger opponent for a "training match." This is a longstanding issue, but it's difficult to change. Budget constraints and the level of football are major problems. For years, we have always faced such disadvantages. Hopefully, when large-capacity stadiums are completed, the situation can improve, including hosting summer tours by major clubs.

Returning to the issue raised at the beginning of the article. A fake match can sometimes be more important than a real match, requiring stricter professional demands compared to a real match. Training with 100% effort is necessary to hope for 70-80% performance in a real match, and achieving that is already fortunate.

During his lifetime, the late Coach Le Thuy Hai was frustrated about many foreign players performing well during trials but showing limited ability after signing contracts. "They have special diets, earn salaries 5-7 times higher than local players, so they must follow different training plans and contribute to the club at least 2-3 times more than local teammates. If they only follow the standard training without extra effort, they will become complacent and assimilated over time. Vietnamese clubs have lost a lot of money due to foreign players... deceiving in this way," Hai once summarized.

Based on experience, during his lifetime, Coach Le Thuy Hai never recommended signing contracts with foreign players for more than two years, as the risk probability is very high. Hai was still considered an expert in "working" with stars, including foreign players.

We only have Bangladesh for a training match before hosting Malaysia, which is a disadvantage, and if considered for the future, this is not beneficial. At the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, where Coach Kim Sang Sik's team will face the continent's top-level teams, even World Cup..., only having friendly matches or facing average or weak teams during qualifying rounds, essentially the preparation process, will be very disadvantageous.

When you lose to a strong team, you will identify weaknesses to fix and improve, rather than resting complacently after victories over weaker or equal teams. That's the truth!

Bangladesh and even Malaysia this time are excellent opportunities for Coach Kim Sang Sik to experiment. Fans want a style of play, not necessarily results that please the majority!