Vietnam's national team lacks quality opponents: A major challenge for coach Kim Sang Sik.
The lack of quality friendly opponents before the ASEAN Cup 2026 has left coach Kim Sang Sik facing the challenge of experimenting with different lineups, forcing the team to prioritize physical training and keep their tactics secret.
The Vietnamese national team is facing a challenging preparation path for the 2026 ASEAN Cup campaign. Although the training camp is imminent, the lack of truly high-quality friendly opponents is becoming a difficult problem, forcing coach Kim Sang Sik to adapt in the increasingly competitive regional football landscape.
Training schedule and concerns from the opposing teams.
According to the plan, on June 22nd, the Vietnamese national team will officially gather to begin a nearly two-week training camp in South Korea. This is a crucial preliminary phase to build physical fitness and establish a cohesive playing style. However, looking at the list of opponents, experts are concerned about the actual effectiveness of this training camp.
After their training camp in South Korea, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will return to Vietnam to play a friendly match against the Myanmar national team in mid-July. In the past, Myanmar was a formidable opponent, but currently, the team has declined significantly and no longer maintains its former standing. The fact that they will only have one official friendly match against a weaker opponent raises serious questions about the Vietnamese players' ability to gain experience and hone their skills.
The problem of personnel testing and tactical adaptation.
In modern football, high-profile friendly matches are considered the best laboratory for strategists to test new players and fine-tune tactical formations. The lack of high-level testing makes it difficult for coaching staff to accurately assess the adaptability of young players and the connection between the different lines on the field.
In reality, any coach would want to have high-quality sparring partners to expose weaknesses in their system. However, finding suitable opponents depends on many objective factors such as the packed schedule of international tournaments, financial issues, and travel logistics. This requires Coach Kim Sang Sik to adopt a pragmatic approach, making the most of training sessions to improve his players' physical fitness.
The advantage of discretion and genuine focus.
Despite facing limitations in terms of friendly match opponents, the training camp in South Korea still yielded certain strategic benefits. The discreet training abroad helped the Vietnamese national team avoid scrutiny from regional rivals. This was a valuable time for Coach Kim to convey his football philosophy more deeply and build a stable team without the excessive pressure of achieving high results in friendly matches.
Vietnamese football history has witnessed brilliant successes stemming from preparation that wasn't overly extravagant but focused on substance and cohesion. In the context of the increasingly challenging ASEAN Cup, a training program emphasizing physical fitness and discipline could yield unexpected results. The VFF's responsibility is to continue seeking strong opponents for the upcoming FIFA Days, but at this point, Coach Kim Sang Sik's ability to adapt will be the decisive factor in determining the team's strength.