Kuala Lumpur, 28 May, 2025 – Coach Kim Sang-sik is happy to lead the ASEAN All-Stars team to defeat a major club like Manchester United in a friendly match on May 28.
“Beating Manchester United is a great experience for me and the players,” Coach Kim said at the post-match press conference at Bukit Jalil Stadium. “I am also very happy to lead players from across Southeast Asia.”
The ASEAN All-Stars won 1-0 against Manchester United thanks to a goal in the 71st minute by Maung Maung Lwin inside the penalty area. The Myanmar midfielder curled a powerful right-foot shot into the left corner after a beautiful through ball from Australian midfielder Adrian Segecic.
“Lwin’s goal was truly valuable,” Coach Kim said. “We had a chance to score more against Manchester United. That’s never an easy thing.”
The Korean coach used all 26 players, coming from 11 countries in the ASEAN Football Federation. The familiar three-center-back formation was used. The players kept good team distance and made it difficult for Manchester United in the second half, even though the club brought on quality attacking players like Bruno Fernandes, Ahmad Diallo, and Garnacho.
“The players had only two days of training, but it felt like they had been together for a long time,” Coach Kim said. “This performance shows that Southeast Asian players are fully capable of playing in top clubs around the world.”
The 1976-born coach also mentioned two individuals: Nguyen Hai Long and Sergio Aguero. He praised the Hanoi FC midfielder, who continues to prove he can shine in international matches. Long scored the winning goal for Vietnam against Thailand in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final. Meanwhile, Aguero, the ASEAN All-Stars’ captain, led the team well during the match.
“He could be a threat to Vietnam when they play away in Malaysia on June 10,” Kim said, referring to the Southeast Asian teams’ upcoming match in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Before the press conference, Coach Kim and the players lifted the cup for the friendly win, then took pictures with Manchester United’s staff.
In this match, Coach Kim was tasked with leading the team by the AFF, after helping Vietnam win the 2024 ASEAN Cup. He and all the national team assistants traveled to Malaysia to work with the multi-national squad.
Tomorrow, Coach Kim and the Vietnamese team members will return to Vietnam to prepare for the next training camp. The national team will begin training on May 30, before returning to Malaysia on June 6. The team will have three days to adjust to the weather before facing Malaysia in the second match of Group F in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
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