ASEAN Cup 2026: Coach Kim Sang Sik sends a powerful message ahead of the big moment

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Coach Kim Sang Sik stated that the Vietnam team aims for the best performance from the opening match and throughout the entire tournament. According to him, entering the competition as defending champions certainly creates pressure, but it also brings confidence and motivation for the players to continue pursuing the highest goal.

The 48-year-old coach believes that the ASEAN Cup has never been an easy tournament. He recalled Vietnam's championship journey two years ago, when every match was full of difficulties and demanded the highest fighting spirit. From those lessons, the entire team understands that only unity, organization, and the desire to contribute can help the team get closer to the goal of defending the title.

Although aiming for the title, Coach Kim Sang Sik still maintains the approach of taking it one match at a time. He believes that football always holds surprises, so the most important thing now is to secure all three points against Timor Leste before thinking about the next challenges.

Assessing the opponent in the opening match, the South Korean strategist said that the coaching staff has thoroughly studied Timor Leste's playing style. According to him, this is a young, energetic team that has prepared seriously tactically. However, Vietnam has also identified the opponent's weaknesses and will try to exploit them to achieve a favorable result.

Also at the press conference, midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc expressed confidence ahead of the clash with Timor Leste. The player from The Cong Viettel club said that the entire team had a quality training camp in South Korea, where Coach Kim Sang Sik applied various training plans to improve coordination and strengthen cohesion among the players.

Hoang Duc assessed that Vietnam's squad this year has better depth with the emergence of many young faces and quality naturalized players. This creates positive competition in every position and also gives the team more tactical options compared to the 2024 ASEAN Cup. The 27-year-old midfielder also expressed his desire to create many dangerous chances and score many goals against Timor Leste to have a favorable start, thereby bringing joy to the fans.

In an interview with the official media channel of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), captain Nguyen Quang Hai said that the entire team has undergone a thorough preparation process in terms of fitness, tactics, and expertise after more than three weeks of training, including a training camp in South Korea and a friendly match against Myanmar. The 1997-born midfielder noted that the atmosphere in the team is very positive, with all players maintaining high focus and determination ahead of the opening day.

Quang Hai emphasized that the team will approach the tournament with a mindset of maximum focus on each match rather than thinking too much about the road ahead. According to the Vietnam captain, the opening match is always of particular importance and will lay the foundation for the team in the race for a semi-final spot.

According to the schedule, after the match against Timor Leste, the Vietnam team will return to My Dinh Stadium to host Singapore on July 31. Next, Coach Kim Sang Sik's side will be guests at Indonesia's stadium on August 3 before concluding the group stage with a clash against Cambodia on August 7.

In Group A, Indonesia is considered a direct competitor to Vietnam in the race for the top spot, while Singapore and Cambodia are also expected to pose many challenges.

As the defending champions with a squad considered more balanced than in their 2024 title-winning campaign, the Vietnam team enters the 2026 ASEAN Cup with high expectations. If they successfully defend the championship, Coach Kim Sang Sik's side will become the first team in the tournament's history to successfully retain the Southeast Asian throne.