Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'I am proud of U23 Vietnam'

On the evening of July 29, at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Indonesia), the Vietnam U23 team won 1-0 against the host team Indonesia U23, thereby successfully defending the Southeast Asian U23 championship. The only goal of the match was scored by midfielder Cong Phuong. This victory helped Vietnam U23 complete a hat-trick of regional titles with three consecutive crowns in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

After the match, head coach Kim Sang-sik could not hide his happiness. He shared: "I feel extremely happy when U23 Vietnam won against U23 Indonesia. This is the third consecutive time we have won the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, a proud achievement.

The players showed their strong will, did not give up and fought with all their might until the last second. Congratulations to the whole team, congratulations to the fans! I am really proud of our players. Even though the majority of the stands were Indonesian fans, the players still maintained their focus and fighting spirit."

A sideline detail that caught the attention of many fans was the arrangement of water bottles along the sidelines by the U23 Vietnam coaching staff. Many people thought that this was a way to limit the opponent's momentum when throwing the ball in. However, coach Kim Sang-sik denied it: "The weather is very hot, we arranged the water bottles like that so that the players could drink water, there was no other intention."

In terms of expertise, the Korean coach highly appreciated the team's fighting spirit, and frankly pointed out the limitations in the attack: "With difficult away matches, the players could not create many opportunities. However, we defended with all our might to maintain a 1-goal difference."

The victory at Gelora Bung Karno not only brought glory to Vietnamese football but also marked a special milestone in Kim Sang-sik's coaching career. He became the first coach in the history of Vietnamese football to win two championships away from home, against home teams in the finals. Previously, at the 2024 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team also came from behind to defeat Thailand 3-2 at Rajamangala to win the regional championship.

Looking to the future, U23 Vietnam will continue to conquer the U23 Asian qualifiers in September and the 33rd SEA Games next year. Coach Kim Sang-sik expects: "I want the players to improve their battle experience and expertise after this tournament. The two upcoming tournaments are very important. I want them to perform even better."

This victory not only affirms the No. 1 position of U23 Vietnam in Southeast Asia, but also continues to inspire and bring pride to fans nationwide./.