Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'The Vietnamese team came to Iraq with the goal of winning'

On the afternoon of June 10, a press conference was held before the match with Iraq in the final round of Group F of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Coach Kim Sang-sik believes in the preparation of the Vietnam National Team and hopes to win away from home with his players.

“Through the match with the Philippines, we saw the possibility of advancing. We came to Iraq with a little hope and were well prepared to face a very strong Iraq and play at home with 65,000 spectators. We are also a strong team and came here with the goal of winning. I hope the Vietnam team will achieve that result,” coach Kim Sang-sik opened the press conference.

Coach Kim Sang-Sik also shared about the preparations of the Vietnamese team: “We have been in Iraq for 2 days. The weather is very hot and it is difficult to adapt to these conditions. But we came here with hope and the goal of winning. The players are trying their best. The Vietnamese people are very strong and will overcome difficulties. We will play well in tomorrow's match.”

The captain of the Vietnam team added: “We lost to Iraq in the last two confrontations. But at that time I was not leading the team. I only know that at this time we have prepared carefully and hope to win tomorrow.”

Commenting on the opponent Iraq, the Korean strategist assessed that the opposing team's players have very good physical strength and technique. "In addition to playing short balls, they also focus on target striker Aymen Hussein and are doing very well. We will continue to monitor Iraq and analyze, taking precautions against players that need attention. Hopefully through the analysis, the players will play well in tomorrow's match."

At the press conference, the host country's media showed great interest in the adaptation of the Vietnamese team to the extremely hot weather in Basra. Regarding this issue, coach Kim Sang-sik just smiled and said jokingly: "I just want to win and return to Vietnam as soon as possible."

Also at the press conference, defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh said: “We have been preparing for this match for the past 3 days. The whole team is very focused to prepare well and try to play well against Iraq. The weather here is hot and we will have to play under the pressure of a large audience. It is really difficult for the Vietnam team.

However, the coaching staff has also prepared many options for the team when entering the match. Iraq is very strong, but we will try our best, maximize our abilities to achieve good results."

The match between Iraq and Vietnam in the final match of Group F of the 2nd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia will take place at 9:00 p.m. local time on June 11 (1:00 a.m. on June 2, Vietnam time). Tonight, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will have a practice session at the Basra stadium./.