Vietnamese football reaches Asian heights under Coach Kim Sang Sik

Vietnamese football has long aimed to catch up with South Korea and is emerging as a rising force in Asia under the guidance of Coach Kim Sang Sik, who took over the national team in 2024. This is the assessment from joongang in a recent article.

After appointing Coach Park Hang Seo in 2017, Vietnamese football achieved strong results in the region and emerged as one of the top teams in Southeast Asia.

Over the past two years, the Vietnamese team has become a "dark horse" that can challenge established Asian powerhouses.

“We achieved the best possible results in every tournament, the Vietnamese people are happy, so that makes everyone happy,” Coach Kim Sang Sik told JoongAng Ilbo in a recent interview in Hanoi.

“At restaurants and in taxis… so many people tell me I don’t need to pay, to the point I almost feel embarrassed. But such moments make the stress of coaching worthwhile,” Coach Kim Sang Sik continued with a smile.

The Vietnamese team under Coach Kim Sang Sik’s leadership won three major Southeast Asian titles, starting with the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup in January 2025 and continuing with the Southeast Asian U23 Championship and SEA Games in July of the same year.

Kim’s “magic” extended to the Asian stage in January, when Vietnam defeated South Korea in a penalty shootout in the AFC U23 Asian Cup third-place match to secure the bronze medal.

“After the final whistle, I saw our Vietnamese players celebrating. Right beside them, South Korean players collapsed on the field in tears,” Kim Sang Sik recalled his mixed emotions.

Under former Coach Park Hang Seo, players competed under difficult conditions driven by the idea of using football to attain wealth and fame. But now, as many of them receive high salaries, that motivation no longer carries the same weight.

“We set long-term goals, like entering Asia’s top 10 and qualifying for the World Cup. But when it comes to tactical details step by step, I try to explain everything in a simple and clear way.

For example, when I want them to keep the lines compact, I tell them I want to see all 10 outfield players appear on the same TV screen as much as possible. Whenever there’s an opportunity, I share a meal or tea with the players and talk with them.

Some of them open up about personal worries unrelated to football. I’m trying to create an atmosphere where they perceive my words not as orders from a coach but as advice from a genuine older brother who cares about them.”

While helping reshape Vietnamese football, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s own perspective on football has also changed. The key word now, he says, is flexibility.

“A coach is like a chef. You look at the ingredients you have and decide what you can make with them. In the past, I couldn’t let go of my obsession with ingredients and methods I simply didn’t have.

But after coming to Vietnam and taking on this new challenge, I learned to be flexible, pursuing a plan if I think it has even a 51% chance of success and boldly abandoning the remaining 49%.

Coach Kim Sang Sik attended a youth football academy event co-organized by the K League and HD Hyundai Electric in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on March 7.

“For Vietnamese football to truly stand on its own, we need to properly train young talents and guide their development in the right direction. If it’s for nurturing the next generation, I’m willing to go anywhere.”