What did Coach Kim Sang Sik say about FIFA’s sanction on the Malaysia national team?

Coach Kim Sang Sik took part in the press briefing before the Vietnam vs. Nepal match in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifying round and offered his early comments regarding FIFA’s penalty against Malaysia’s national team.

Vietnam is determined to secure all 3 points

“Tomorrow will be our third match in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Since Vietnam is playing at home, neither I nor the players will back down. The whole team’s goal is to move forward and claim a full 3 points. I hope the fans will come to support the players. We will try to perform at our best,” Coach Kim Sang Sik began the press conference.

During the squad gathering, Coach Kim Sang Sik called up 8 players from the U23 team. A key question now is whether these young players will get playing time. Coach Kim Sang Sik stated: “I prefer to keep this matter confidential. The coaching staff and I are working to help both age groups play cohesively to deliver the best performance. Vietnam’s young players are very talented and serve as a foundation for future development.”

Regarding the unfortunate absence of Quang Hải, Coach Kim Sang Sik expressed: “I am very sorry that Quang Hải has to miss out due to injury. He has excellent ball skills, especially with his skillful left foot. Additionally, Quang Hải can take free kicks and make creative passes. Missing a player like him is truly regrettable. But I believe Hoàng Đức and Thành Long will perform well. I hope Quang Hải recovers soon.”

Furthermore, Coach Kim Sang Sik revealed the status of Bùi Tiến Dũng and Nguyễn Đức Chiến: “Both are suffering from muscle strains and are currently undergoing rehabilitation. I am also considering how to use the squad most effectively.”

Notably, when asked about the Malaysian football naturalization scandal, Mr. Kim responded: “I think this matter should be handled by FIFA. Regardless of the final outcome, I respect FIFA’s decision. Actually, this is not the main issue. We need to focus on winning against Nepal rather than worrying about that.”

Being cautious ahead of opponent Nepal

Coach Kim Sang Sik has thoroughly studied the Nepal team. He identified the two most dangerous players on the opposing side: “The goal for the next two matches is to secure all 6 points. That is our sole objective. Through video analysis, we found that Nepal has two key dangerous players wearing numbers 7 and 14 who must be tightly marked. Actually, what we need to do is prepare our tactics and concentrate on our own gameplay rather than focusing too much on the opponent,” Mr. Kim emphasized that the entire team is focusing on themselves instead of overly worrying about the opposition.

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