The Vietnamese national team returns to Rajamangala: From a cauldron of fear to a launching pad for ASEAN Cup championship.
Once the place where Vietnamese football's hopes were dashed, the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok has now become a strong psychological anchor for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.
The Vietnamese national team has a great opportunity to assert its position as the number one team in the region as it travels to Bangkok to participate in the ASEAN Cup 2026 final. The Rajamangala Stadium, once considered a "cauldron" of intense pressure for any visiting team, has now become a strong psychological advantage, giving coach Kim Sang-sik's team confidence in facing the host nation, Thailand.
Erasing the "ghost of Thailand" with the resilience of the new generation.
In the past, former coach Henrique Calisto used the phrase "Thai ghost" to describe the psychological barrier that weighed heavily on Vietnamese players whenever they faced their arch-rivals. Despite their performance in other tournaments, this apprehension at Rajamangala Stadium has caused many generations of players to lose their composure even before the opening whistle.
However, the current situation has completely changed thanks to the stability and resilience accumulated over the past decade. The first milestone marking this breakthrough was at the ASEAN Cup 2024, when the Vietnamese national team created a sensation with a 3-2 victory on their opponent's home ground. Notably, this result was achieved even though their main striker, Nguyen Xuan Son, had to leave the field early due to injury.
That mental strength was further demonstrated at the 33rd SEA Games a year later. The U22 Vietnam team, under the leadership of coach Kim Sang-sik, staged a miraculous comeback: trailing 2-0 in the first half, they still managed to win the gold medal. Winning twice in a row on Thai soil completely dispelled the apprehension that had once enveloped the Rajamangala Stadium.
Comprehensive logistics and a mobilization of 4.5 billion VND.
The rise of Vietnamese football stems not only from its fighting spirit but also from the well-planned logistical support from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Mr. Tran Anh Tu, Vice President in charge of professional affairs at the VFF, stated that the strategy for the national teams is always planned comprehensively from an early stage. At this year's tournament, while direct competitors like Indonesia and Thailand suffered significant personnel losses, the Vietnamese team was able to assemble its optimal squad thanks to close coordination from domestic clubs.
Entering the final, coach Kim Sang-sik's team was in excellent form after a convincing 4-0 aggregate victory against Malaysia in the semi-finals. Immediately after the second leg ended on the evening of August 19th, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan personally went down to the field to encourage the team and awarded them a bonus of 1 billion VND, bringing the total prize money for the entire team since the beginning of the tournament to 4.5 billion VND.
Despite facing a tight travel schedule, with the entire team having to wake up at 5 am on August 20th to catch a flight to Bangkok, the atmosphere within the team remained optimistic. Thorough physical preparation, coupled with the historical advantage at Rajamangala, is creating the perfect springboard for the Vietnamese team to aim for the highest peak.
