Coach Kim Sang-sik: Vietnam team will create surprise against Malaysia

(NLDO) - The Vietnamese team has the best preparation before entering the match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10.

Coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his confidence in the spirit and ability of his players, and affirmed that the whole team is ready for the big challenge against Malaysia in the second match of Group F - Final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

He emphasized that despite facing many difficulties, the Vietnamese team still tries to maximize collective strength and is determined to achieve the best results in this important match.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik and captain Do Duy Manh attended a press conference before the match against Malaysia on June 9. This is considered a crucial match for both teams' ambitions to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals.

Sharing with the press, Coach Kim admitted that the match with Malaysia will be one of the most difficult challenges for the Vietnamese team in Group F.

“Although this is only the first leg, in order to reach the goal of participating in the final of the 2027 Asian Cup, we determined that this is an important and perhaps the most difficult match. The Vietnamese team will use all their abilities and promote collective strength to aim for victory,” emphasized coach Kim Sang-sik.

The Korean strategist said that the Malaysian team has many changes with the appearance of 7 new naturalized players and 18 names that the Vietnamese team's coaching staff has never known.

“This makes the process of evaluating and analyzing tactics more difficult, but the whole team has been well prepared and ready to face any challenge,” Mr. Kim added.

Assessing the changes of the Malaysian team, the Korean coach said that the opponent's addition of many quality naturalized players has brought a big challenge to the Vietnamese team.

However, he still believes in the preparation and solidarity of the whole team: “Football is a sport full of surprises. The final result will depend on the preparation and efforts of each team. I hope the players will maintain a positive spirit and maximize their abilities in the upcoming match.”

Recalling his experience leading the ASEAN All Stars team to defeat Manchester United in a friendly match despite only having one day of preparation, coach Kim Sang-sik said that football always contains unexpected elements and unpredictable results, but confidence and good preparation will help Vietnamese players be ready to face the challenge.

For his part, captain Do Duy Manh also shared his determination with his teammates to overcome the pressure at Bukit Jalil Stadium, where he played in the 2018 AFF Cup final and most recently in a friendly match with MU Club and the Southeast Asian All-Star team.

"I understand the heat and enthusiasm of the Malaysian audience. My teammates and I need to try to overcome the pressure from the home audience, try to stay calm to play well and fulfill the responsibilities assigned by the coaching staff" - the Vietnamese national team's central defender expressed.

Duy Manh added that the Malaysian team has had many changes, from the coach to the players. “According to the information I know, the other team has 17-18 naturalized players as well as players playing abroad. They are all very high-quality players. Surely tomorrow's match will not be an easy match for us. But we also have our own determination and goals. We will prepare the best to be able to get the best results in tomorrow's match" - Duy Manh emphasized.

In Group F, Vietnam and Malaysia are considered two direct competitors for the only ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup Finals. After the first round of matches, Vietnam temporarily leads the group with a 5-0 victory over Laos, while Malaysia ranks second with a 2-0 victory over Nepal.

Statistics show that, in the past 11 years since the AFF Cup 2014, Malaysia has never won against Vietnam, with 7 losses and 1 draw. The match between Malaysia and Vietnam will take place at 8pm on June 10 at Bukit Jalil Stadium.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-tuyen-viet-nam-se-tao-bat-ngo-truoc-malaysia-196250609135347743.htm