Hanoi, 6 August 2026 – Coach Kim Sang-sik showed his lighter side ahead of his team’s final Group A clash against Cambodia, joking that his choice of clothing—not his players—was to blame for Vietnam’s disappointing draw with Singapore.
Following Vietnam’s frustrating 0-0 stalemate against Singapore, Kim had previously explained that his players became overly excited after their emphatic 7-0 victory over Timor-Leste, leading to rushed decision-making and wasteful finishing in front of goal.
That topic resurfaced during the pre-match press conference before Vietnam’s meeting with Cambodia, with reporters asking whether the commanding 3-0 victory over Indonesia had restored the team’s confidence after the setback against Singapore.
Kim’s response immediately drew laughter from everyone in the press room.
“I don’t think it was the players’ fault in that match. It was because I wore a white shirt,” the South Korean coach joked. “Against Indonesia, I wore a black shirt and Vietnam won.”
After the humorous moment, Kim offered a more serious assessment of the team’s recent improvement.
“In reality, we created many chances against Singapore but failed to convert them. We carefully analyzed that match afterward and worked very hard in training. We also made several adjustments against Indonesia, and the players who were given starting opportunities, such as Nguyen Hai Long, Le Pham Thanh Long, and Bui Hoang Viet Anh, all performed very well.”
The Vietnam coach believes those lessons have helped the defending champions improve and is confident his side can deliver another convincing display against Cambodia.
Kim also expressed his hope that Vietnamese supporters would once again pack My Dinh Stadium and inspire the team as they look to finish the group stage strongly before the knockout rounds.
Midfielder Nguyen Hai Long echoed his coach’s confidence and emphasized that nothing less than victory is acceptable.
“Our goal is definitely to take all three points against Cambodia. We were disappointed with the result against Singapore at home, so tomorrow we are determined to show our true quality and deliver a much better performance.”
Vietnam currently sit at the top of Group A and know that a positive result against Cambodia would further strengthen their momentum heading into the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals.
VSN/RPT
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