Coach Kim Sang-sik: 17 wins/22 matches, a regional double.
Across 22 matches for the national team and U23 team, coach Kim Sang-sik has won 17, drawn 2, and lost 3; remaining undefeated in 11 matches at the AFF Cup and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, achieving a double victory in the 2024 AFF Cup and the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship.
Winning both titles in the same year — the 2024 AFF Cup and the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship — elevates coach Kim Sang-sik to a special position: the first coach in Vietnamese football history to hold both regional titles in a single year, a feat even coach Park Hang-seo has yet to achieve. Behind this glory lies a substantial body of data that speaks volumes about his consistency and ability to read the game.
The mark of the past two years: the results speak for themselves.
Including both the national team and the U23 team, Coach Kim has overseen 22 matches (friendly and official) with a record of 17 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. A win rate of over 80% demonstrates a stable playing structure, the ability to manage the tempo, and the capacity to make appropriate adjustments to each situation.
On the regional front, Vietnam is unbeaten in 11 consecutive matches in the AFF Cup and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, including 9 wins. This winning streak lays the foundation for two championships in the 2024-2025 period, while also creating momentum for the next major goals.
Selected statistics table
| Category | The number |
|---|---|
| Total matches played for the national team and U23 team | 22 |
| Overall results | 17 wins - 2 draws - 3 losses |
| Win rate | Over 80% |
| Undefeated in the AFF Cup and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship. | 11 matches (9 wins) |
| AFF Cup 2024 | 8 unbeaten matches (7 wins) |
| U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025 | A perfect winning record |
| Vietnam national team in 2025 | Win 7 out of 8 matches |
A historic double and milestones
The 2024 AFF Cup championship came from an 8-match unbeaten streak, including 7 wins — an effective foundation that helped the team overcome tense situations in the knockout rounds. At the youth level, the Vietnam U23 team won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship with a perfect record, simultaneously securing a three-year consecutive victory in this tournament.
The biggest highlight is that Coach Kim became the first person to lead Vietnam to win both the AFF Cup and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship in the same year. In terms of team management, maintaining high performance at both levels in a short period demonstrates organizational skills and the ability to choose flexible playing strategies.
Stability in numbers
The statistic of 17 wins in 22 matches reflects consistent effectiveness, from the group stage to the knockout phase. The 11-match unbeaten streak in Southeast Asian competitions is a measure of their ability to control risk in familiar matchups, where teams know each other well and the margin of surprise is low.
In 2025 alone, the Vietnamese national team won 7 out of 8 international matches under coach Kim — an indication that the results trajectory will continue on the right track after the successful 2024 season.
Next destination
This December, Coach Kim will lead the Vietnam U22 team towards the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. If he achieves this goal, he will reach the third major regional title – a milestone that Vietnamese football has never achieved before.
In early 2026, the Vietnam U23 team aims to reach the quarterfinals of the U23 Asian Championship, further testing their ability to compete at the highest level on the continental stage. Based on their current foundation, the road ahead remains challenging, but the statistics support these expectations.
