Coach Kim Sang Sik declares defeating Malaysia on away field

“The Vietnamese team gathered on May 30. Some players from the Hanoi Police and Binh Duong clubs arrived late, making the preparation a bit difficult, but the whole team quickly got into the rhythm and showed great training spirit,” said coach Kim Sang Sik.

Talking about the squad situation, especially the recent absence of striker Nguyen Cong Phuong due to injury, coach Kim Sang Sik shared: “Cong Phuong was first called up under my tenure but unfortunately suffered an injury and was forced to leave the team.

This is a big loss because his experience will be very useful for the match against Malaysia. However, with the remaining 23 players, the whole team will continue to improve their playing style and prepare best for the next match."

When asked about the Vietnamese team's outstanding record against Malaysia over the past decade, coach Kim Sang Sik said: "The fact that Malaysia has not been able to beat Vietnam for over 10 years is quite special, especially since they, like Thailand, are our long-standing rivals.

However, this achievement also partly reflects the careful preparation and confidence of the Vietnamese players. I hope the whole team will continue to maintain this confidence in the next match."

Despite having a very good head-to-head record, coach Kim Sang Sik admitted that the upcoming match will pose a big challenge for the Vietnamese team. He said: “According to the information we have, Malaysia has about 8-10 new naturalized players compared to the last tournament, causing many difficulties in analyzing the opponent's tactics.

We will continue to monitor and analyze to have the best preparation. The players are all trying their best to be ready for the away match on June 10th."

Regarding away pressure, Coach Kim confidently said: “We have had experience playing under great pressure from the audience at Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand in the second leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final.

I think it is important that players believe in themselves, their teammates and the coaching staff to overcome pressure and aim for the best results."

In this training session, coach Kim Sang Sik called up naturalized player Cao Quang Vinh. The Korean strategist commented: “Quang Vinh can play many positions, from left center back, full back to winger. His presence helps the team’s tactics become more flexible.

I will continue to analyze to make the most of Quang Vinh's strengths as well as other players."

According to the plan, the Vietnamese team will leave for Malaysia on the morning of June 6. Coach Kim Sang Sik once again affirmed the team's unchanging goal: "All matches are very stressful, but the joy will be doubled when we overcome difficulties and win.

I always believe that the players will unite and make efforts to overcome the challenges. Although the qualifying round is played in a home and away format, we do not want to drop any points and aim to win all 3 points in the next match. In general, victory is always the highest goal of the Vietnamese team."