Coach Kim Sang-sik loses sleep selecting his squad, SEA Games group stage changes.

The pressure to win gold at the 33rd SEA Games is weighing heavily on coach Kim Sang-sik, who admits to having lost sleep over the selection process before the November 29th deadline. At the same time, the organizers have adjusted the group stage due to squad changes, making the race for the semi-finals even more intense. Meanwhile, in the youth category, the Vietnam U17 team will face Malaysia U17 in a "final" match on the evening of November 30th at the PVF stadium to compete for a spot in the 2026 Asian Championship finals.

Coach Kim Sang-sik and the personnel dilemma before heading to Bangkok.

With the goal of reclaiming the gold medal after only winning a bronze at the SEA Games 32, coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to continue the successful trajectory of the Park Hang-seo era. He said he had many sleepless nights sifting through and selecting the best players for the list to be announced on November 29th. The Vietnam U22 team will travel to Bangkok on December 1st, officially beginning their challenge in Group B.

With the objectives already established, psychological preparation and competitive spirit become crucial alongside technical skills. Every personnel choice represents a trade-off between international competition experience and current form.

Leadership roles: Khuat Van Khang and Nguyen Dinh Bac, and the challenge of becoming the "leading force".

Following Nguyen Van Truong's injury, the new leadership team appointed Khuat Van Khang as captain and Nguyen Dinh Bac as vice-captain. This is a reasonable choice in terms of expertise and international experience, but questions remain about their ability to boost team morale – something that "leaders" like Que Ngoc Hai and Do Hung Dung have clearly demonstrated.

The key to the next phase lies in "psychological warfare": transforming Khang and Bac's technical abilities into a source of inspiration for the team. This is also a task that Coach Kim must address in parallel with tactical planning.

Perspective from Malaysia: Pessimism regarding the strength of Vietnam U22.

Malaysian football legend Datuk Jamil Nasir expressed pessimism about his team's chances at the 33rd SEA Games. According to him, the Malaysian U22 team will struggle to advance beyond the group stage when facing a stable and strong Vietnamese U22 team.

The pessimism intensifies when considering the team's poor performance in previous tournaments and the lack of positive signs towards their goal of competing for medals. The concerns of Malaysian experts therefore stem not only from strong opponents, but also from their own preparation.

Hasty preparations: Malaysia started training late, information was unclear.

The U22 Malaysia team only started training on November 25th, with no international friendly matches, and the head coach did not hold a press conference to update the team's situation. This "complete silence" in preparation has left both the domestic media and fans confused ahead of their match against U22 Vietnam.

SEA Games 33 Group Stage Changes: Singapore Changes Group, Semifinal Spot Becomes Strictly Qualified

Due to the withdrawal of the Cambodian sports delegation in the men's football event, the Organizing Committee adjusted the group divisions: U22 Singapore moved from Group C to Group A, reducing the total number of teams to 9, divided into 3 groups. Group B, which includes Vietnam, remains unchanged with Malaysia and Laos.

Format: The top 3 teams from each group, along with the best-performing second-placed team, advance to the semi-finals. This narrows the margin of error for the Vietnam U22 team – a single misstep could put the entire campaign at high risk.

Vietnam U17 vs Malaysia U17: 90 minutes to decide the Asian qualification spot.

On the evening of November 30th at the PVF stadium, coach Cristiano Roland's team faced U17 Malaysia in the final match of the 2026 U17 Asian Championship qualifiers. U17 Vietnam is leading the group and only needs a draw to secure their place in the next round. Conversely, U17 Malaysia must win.

Both coaches consider this a "final" match. The Vietnam U17 team boasts an unbeaten defense, a clear psychological advantage going into this tense encounter.

The Vietnamese women's futsal team is training in Hangzhou.

Aiming to win a different colored medal at the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnamese women's futsal team traveled to Hangzhou (China) for a two-week training camp starting November 27th, and is scheduled to play two friendly matches against the Chinese women's futsal team. This is an opportunity to review the squad, refine tactics, and assess the performance of the 16 players before finalizing the roster.

Main information

• Vietnam U22 finalized its squad on November 29th and will travel to Bangkok on December 1st.
• SEA Games 33 Group B: Vietnam – Malaysia – Laos; the top 3 teams + the best runner-up will advance to the semi-finals.
• Vietnam U17 only needs a draw against Malaysia U17 on the evening of November 30th at PVF Stadium to secure their qualification.
• The Vietnamese women's futsal team trained for two weeks in Hangzhou, including two friendly matches against China.