Coach Kim Sang Sik receives the award for best coach of the year: Indonesian media bows down to the new powerhouse.
With 532 votes and a historic hat-trick of titles in 2025, Coach Kim Sang Sik completely convinced the experts and earned the respect of his regional rivals.
South Korean strategist Kim Sang Sik has officially been honored as "Vietnam's Best Coach of 2025" after a hugely successful year. With 532 votes, he won overwhelmingly, affirming his position as the chief architect of Vietnam's strong comeback on the regional football map.
Absolute dominance with a historic hat-trick of titles.
2025 marked the complete dominance of Vietnamese football as it swept all the most important titles at the Southeast Asian level. Under the guidance of coach Kim Sang Sik, the national teams successively won the AFF Cup (ASEAN Cup), the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, and successfully defended their SEA Games 33 gold medal.
This remarkable stability and effectiveness not only earned Mr. Kim an individual award but also helped the Vietnam U23 team be honored as the "Best Team of 2025". This is the result of a scientific playing style, based on iron discipline and the keen ability to read the game of this strategist.
Respect from rival Indonesia
Notably, Indonesian media – Vietnam's biggest rival in the region – have given special praise to Mr. Kim. CNN Indonesia acknowledged the clear tactical imprint that this coach brings, especially his ability to organize a very tight playing style.
At the AFF Cup in early 2025, the Vietnamese national team overcame Indonesia before defeating Thailand in the final to claim the championship. A similar scenario repeated itself at the U23 Southeast Asian Championship held in Jakarta, where coach Kim Sang Sik's team defeated the host team, U23 Indonesia, in the final match to claim the top spot.
A vision that reaches the continental level.
Besides domestic titles, international experts also highly appreciate Coach Kim Sang Sik's long-term vision. CNN Indonesia emphasized that his success in leading the Vietnam U23 team to qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship is a remarkable achievement, especially when compared to the failures of other teams in the region such as Indonesia.
The resurgence of Vietnamese football under Kim Sang Sik's leadership is not just about statistics. It's about re-establishing its position as a "powerhouse" in Southeast Asia, a team with its own identity and the ability to compete on equal footing in bigger arenas in the near future.
