Hanoi, 7 August 2026 – Coach Kim Sang-sik challenged Nguyen Dinh Bac to keep raising his standards after the young forward starred in Vietnam’s 3-1 victory over Cambodia, helping the defending champions secure top spot in Group A and advance to the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals on Thursday.
Just one week earlier, Dinh Bac had endured a frustrating evening against Singapore. The 21-year-old was substituted before halftime during Vietnam’s goalless draw at My Dinh Stadium after failing to meet the tactical demands of the coaching staff. Following that match, Kim publicly criticized the striker’s performance, making it clear that he had not carried out his responsibilities effectively.
The response could hardly have been more impressive.
Handed another opportunity in the starting lineup against Cambodia, Dinh Bac delivered a man-of-the-match performance in front of nearly 20,000 supporters at My Dinh. He opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a superb solo effort, weaving past three defenders before drilling a right-footed shot into the far corner beyond goalkeeper Koy Salim. He then completed his brace in the 89th minute, calmly lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper after being released by Le Pham Thanh Long, sealing Vietnam’s 3-1 victory in style.
Speaking after the match, Kim admitted he had mixed emotions regarding his earlier decision to substitute Dinh Bac against Singapore.
“I feel sorry and somewhat guilty because I took Dinh Bac off before halftime in the draw against Singapore. But he understood the situation and accepted the sacrifice for the team. Both he and the squad overcame that difficult moment, and today he rewarded us with two goals.”
The brace lifted Dinh Bac to the top of the ASEAN Cup 2026 scoring chart with five goals, further underlining his rapid development. Despite being only 21, the forward has already built an impressive résumé, winning the V.League, Vietnam National Cup, and Vietnam National Super Cup with Hanoi Police FC, as well as the AFF U23 Championship and SEA Games gold medal with Vietnam’s U23 team. He also represented Vietnam at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, where he famously scored against Japan.
Even so, Kim stressed that Dinh Bac’s journey is only beginning and encouraged him to set even bigger ambitions.
“He is in excellent form, but as a coach, I always expect more from my players. I want Dinh Bac to continue developing, to reach continental level and even compete on the world stage. I sincerely hope he understands why I set such high expectations.”
While pleased with Vietnam’s convincing victory, Kim acknowledged that his team was not flawless. He pointed to several lapses in concentration that allowed Cambodia to equalize early in the second half, but viewed those mistakes as valuable lessons ahead of the knockout stage.
The South Korean coach also revealed that several key players, including Do Hoang Hen, Doan Van Hau, Nguyen Tai Loc, and Nguyen Hoang Duc, were managing fitness issues. As a result, some were rested, introduced from the bench, or substituted early as part of a carefully planned rotation strategy designed to keep the squad fresh throughout the tournament.
By finishing first in Group A, Vietnam earned the advantage of hosting the second leg of both the semifinals and, should they progress, the final. They will face the runners-up from Group B, with their opponent to be determined after Friday’s final group-stage fixtures. The first leg of the semifinal will be played away on August 16, before Vietnam host the decisive return leg at My Dinh Stadium three days later.
Kim believes the eight-day break before the semifinals will provide his players with ample time to recover physically and mentally for the decisive stage of the competition.
Vietnam’s qualification also extends an impressive record, marking the seventh consecutive ASEAN Championship in which the Golden Star Warriors have reached the semifinals. During the previous six editions, they advanced to the final three times, lifting the trophy in 2018 and 2024, while finishing runners-up in 2022.
VSN/RPT
Leave a Reply