Coach Kim Sang-sik praised his players’ fighting spirit after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Philippines in their FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 opener, while calling for further improvement ahead of the upcoming clash with Thailand.
Vietnam were made to work hard against the Philippines but eventually secured all three points thanks to Nguyen Dinh Bac’s decisive goal. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kim acknowledged the difficulties his side encountered but was pleased with the mentality shown by his players in finding a way to win. “This was not an easy match at all and it was really very difficult. Even so, I think the whole team showed the right mentality to secure the victory. To prepare for our upcoming second match, we need to prepare even better so that we can achieve a good result,” Kim said.
One of the major positives from the match was the senior international debut of Williams Minh Hoang, who made an immediate impact in his first appearance for Vietnam. The youngster played an important role in the winning goal, delivering the low cross that eventually led to Dinh Bac finding the net. Kim was impressed by the young player’s contribution and believes he has the potential to become an increasingly important member of the national team. “He is a good player and still very young. He brings youthful energy to the whole team. I believe he is not simply a young player; if he adapts well to the team, he will become an extremely important player,” the South Korean coach said.
Kim also singled out goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik for praise after he produced a number of important saves to help Vietnam preserve their narrow advantage. Despite only recently joining the national team setup, the goalkeeper has quickly settled into the squad and impressed the coaching staff with his performances. “Patrik Le Giang has only recently joined the team, but he has adapted very quickly and performed very well. All the players fought for the team. From attacking players such as Dinh Bac and Xuan Son to the entire defence, everyone showed unity, made sacrifices and overcame the difficult moments,” Kim said.
Attention now turns to Vietnam’s next opponents, Thailand, who opened their campaign with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Pakistan. Kim confirmed that he watched the match, although Vietnam’s coaching staff have yet to complete a full analysis of their regional rivals. Nevertheless, he stressed that Thailand remain a formidable opponent and that Vietnam will need to be thoroughly prepared for the challenge. “Thailand have always been a strong team, and they played a good match against Pakistan. Pakistan are also a team with very good physical strength. Therefore, we need to prepare very carefully,” Kim said.
With three points secured from their opening fixture, Vietnam will now focus on recovering and addressing areas for improvement before facing Thailand in their second FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 group-stage match.
VSN/RPT
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