Vietnam's national team faces difficulties in defending their Southeast Asian title, causing headaches for coach Kim Sang-sik.

The Vietnamese squad is embarking on an important preparation period for the ASEAN Championship 2026, yet the shortage of high-level friendly rivals is turning into a headache for head coach Kim Sang-sik as he gears up to defend the Southeast Asian throne.

The Vietnamese national team (VNT) is now stepping into a vital buildup phase for the journey to defend their title at the ASEAN Championship 2026. The nearly two-week training camp in South Korea—the homeland of coach Kim Sang-sik—is seen as a key stepping stone before Southeast Asia's top tournament kicks off. However, just when everything seemed on track, the team is facing a tricky problem that is far from easy to solve.

According to the plan, after finishing the training camp in South Korea, Vietnam will have a friendly match against Myanmar before entering the ASEAN Championship 2026. Yet, this very arrangement is causing concern among many fans and experts. While direct rivals like Thailand or Indonesia are continuously upgrading their international competition quality, Vietnam's limited opportunities to test themselves against strong opponents are becoming a major worry.

In reality, the training camp in South Korea brings many professional benefits. "The Golden Star Warriors" are training in modern facilities, a professional environment, and have ample time for coach Kim Sang-sik to impart his football philosophy, but training and competing are two different stories.

In modern football, high-quality friendly matches play a particularly vital role. They provide the coaching staff with a chance to test tactical systems, evaluate squad operation, and identify remaining weaknesses. An opponent with high playing intensity helps players get accustomed to real-match pressure—something that training sessions can hardly replicate fully.

Myanmar was once a troublesome name in Southeast Asian football, but in recent years the team has declined significantly. Therefore, a match against a lower-ranked opponent can hardly reflect the true strength of Vietnam ahead of the ASEAN Championship 2026.

This is exactly what gives coach Kim Sang-sik a headache. If they don't get to clash with physically strong, high-pressing, or technically proficient teams, Vietnamese players might struggle in major matches against title contenders like Indonesia or Thailand.

Nevertheless, difficulties can also open up opportunities. Instead of relying too much on friendlies, the South Korean tactician is focusing on building cohesion in play, improving physical foundations, and perfecting the tactical framework. The training camp in South Korea is seen as valuable time for Vietnam to fine-tune tactical maneuvers in a secluded environment, away from the watchful eyes of regional rivals.

Vietnam's football history has witnessed many quiet preparation campaigns that later brought resounding success. Despite the lack of quality "warm-up opponents," fans still have reason to expect a highly competitive Vietnamese team when they step into the ASEAN Championship 2026.