Indonesia, 20 July, 2025 – Following U23 Vietnam’s convincing 3-0 victory over U23 Laos in their opening match of the 2025 AFF U23 Championship, head coach Kim Sang Sik affirmed that his team is fully focused and not concerned about which opponent they may face in the semifinals, whether it be U23 Indonesia or U23 Malaysia.
Speaking to the media after the win at Patriot Stadium in Jakarta, coach Kim expressed his appreciation: “I’m very pleased with the 3-0 result in our opening game. On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank the Vietnamese fans who came to the stadium to support us, as well as those watching from home.”
Assessing the match, the Korean strategist stated: “U23 Laos played with a compact defensive structure from the beginning. However, our players remained patient and worked hard to find openings. The important thing is that we maintained balance between defense and attack, controlled the game, and secured the result.”
When asked about the fact that two of U23 Vietnam’s three goals were scored by defenders rather than strikers, coach Kim smiled and responded: “I’m happy because what matters is that we scored and won the match. It doesn’t matter who gets the goals. Congratulations to Hieu Minh for his excellent performance and brace.”
Regarding U23 Indonesia — who have won both their matches in Group A and are seen as strong title contenders — coach Kim remained cautious: “Indonesia are a strong team and very well-organized. However, we’ve only played one match so far. Our focus needs to remain on each game, one at a time, and stick to our plan. That’s the most important thing right now.”
When asked whether he preferred to face Indonesia or Malaysia in the semifinals, Kim responded clearly: “It doesn’t matter who our opponent is. What matters is executing our strategy and showcasing our own strengths.”
Man of the match Nguyen Hieu Minh, who scored twice against Laos, also shared his thoughts: “I’m very happy to have scored two goals. It gives me extra motivation to keep working hard in the upcoming matches. Thank you to all the fans for your support.”
U23 Vietnam will return to action on July 22 at 20:00 (Vietnam time) when they face U23 Cambodia in the final match of Group B. The match will be streamed live on the Vietnam Sports News online platform.
Lam Van
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