Indonesia, 2 Oct 2026 – Vietnam head coach Kim Sang-sik says his side will approach their FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 third-place playoff against Malaysia “like a final”, despite having only two days to recover from their final group-stage match.
Vietnam finished second in Group B with six points after coming from behind to defeat Pakistan 4-2 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on October 2. The result secured Vietnam a place in the third-place playoff, where they will face Malaysia at the same venue on October 5. Speaking after the Pakistan victory, Kim stressed that his players remain determined to finish the tournament strongly. “The upcoming match will be Vietnam’s fourth game of the tournament, but we will still approach the next match like a final,” the South Korean coach said.
Kim acknowledged that the demanding schedule, with matches taking place roughly every three days, combined with the hot conditions in Jakarta, has placed considerable physical demands on his squad. Vietnam will have only two full days to recover before facing Malaysia, making recovery and fitness management major priorities for the coaching staff. Kim also suggested that players who have received limited minutes so far could be given opportunities, with squad rotation potentially necessary as Vietnam attempt to manage the short turnaround between matches.
The victory over Pakistan highlighted a significant contrast between Vietnam’s performances in the two halves. Kim’s side went into the interval trailing 1-0 before producing a much more energetic display after the break, scoring four times to turn the contest around before Pakistan eventually reduced the deficit to 4-2. “The hot weather had a significant impact on the players’ concentration during the first 45 minutes,” Kim explained. “After the break, the personnel adjustments gave us more energy and had a positive impact. I was particularly satisfied with the players’ performance in the second half. Bringing energetic players onto the pitch made the difference. This also gives the coaching staff a basis for considering our personnel choices against Malaysia.”
Vietnam’s comeback began in the 50th minute when Nguyen Hai Long beat the offside trap, worked his way past a Pakistani defender and finished to level the score. Seven minutes later, Nguyen Dinh Bac provided the assist for captain Nguyen Hoang Duc, who struck from outside the penalty area to put Vietnam ahead. Dinh Bac then got on the scoresheet himself in the 80th minute after latching onto a long pass from Phan Tuan Tai. The forward completed an influential performance in the 90th minute by setting up 19-year-old Williams Minh Hoang, who scored his first senior international goal to help complete the 4-2 victory.
Attention now turns to Malaysia, a team Kim believes have undergone significant personnel changes since their previous meeting with Vietnam at the ASEAN Cup in August. However, the Korean coach indicated that Malaysia’s changes will not alter Vietnam’s overall approach as his side prepare for one final challenge in Jakarta.
Kim also commented on Indonesia’s remarkable 9-2 victory over Bangladesh in the final round of Group A, a match he was able to watch in part. “It was an unusual match with many controversial situations and collisions. The two teams scored 11 goals, so the way the match unfolded was really difficult to predict,” he said.
With their hopes of reaching the final already over, Vietnam will now focus on ending their FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign on a positive note. Kim Sang-sik’s side will face Malaysia in the third-place playoff at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on October 5.
VSN/RPT
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