Coach Kim Sang Sik is not subjective before the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Finals - Photo: NGOC LE
"Thailand and Indonesia are always strong candidates for the U23 Southeast Asian championship. Thailand stands out with its technique and solid organization, while Indonesia impresses with its physical strength and speed.
Matches with these two teams are always tense, so U23 Vietnam will have to prepare carefully," coach Kim Sang Sik shared on the homepage of the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) on June 16.
After temporarily leaving the national team during FIFA Days in June, coach Kim Sang Sik will focus on training the Vietnam U23 team towards the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 finals taking place in Indonesia in July and the 2026 Asian U23 qualifiers at home in September.
In this biennial tournament, U23 Vietnam is the defending champion (in 2023 under the guidance of coach Hoang Anh Tuan). This year, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are in Group B with Laos and Cambodia.
AFF highly appreciates U23 Vietnam and believes that coach Kim's team will easily enter the semi-finals.
"Winning the championship in two consecutive Southeast Asian U23 tournaments is our pride. Instead of creating pressure in this year's tournament, we want to focus on playing our best in every match," said coach Kim.
The Korean strategist wants to encourage young players to see U23 Southeast Asia as an opportunity to develop and mature instead of aiming for achievements.
"This tournament is not just a title competition. It allows us to evaluate the ability of each player and use different combinations to enhance tactical cohesion. For young players, this is a valuable opportunity to gain international competition experience," said coach Kim.
Pham Ly Duc just made his debut for the Vietnamese national team in the match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10 - Photo: NGOC LE
AFF pointed out Nguyen Thai Son and Pham Ly Duc as young players who were given early opportunities by coach Kim Sang Sik in the Vietnam national team. Mr. Kim said that the two students can shine and contribute to the overall success of U23 Vietnam in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament.
"I have worked with Thai Son and Ly Duc and I highly appreciate them. I expect them to perform well with their teammates in the upcoming tournament," Coach Kim shared.
According to the plan, U23 Vietnam will gather in Ba Ria - Vung Tau from June 26 to July 13, a location with a similar climate to host Indonesia, before leaving for the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. The team will play their opening match in Group B against Laos on July 19.
The 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Finals have 10 teams, divided into 3 groups. The teams will play a round robin to select the top 3 teams and 1 second place team to advance to the semi-finals.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-khen-ngoi-u23-thai-lan-va-indonesia-truoc-giai-dong-nam-a-20250616192131376.htm
Comment (0)