What did coach Kim Sang Sik say about his first time attending the SEA Games?

The Korean strategist was cautious in his first time participating in the SEA Games with the Vietnam U22 team.

On December 2, in Thailand, Coach Kim Sang Sik attended a press conference before the match between the U22 Vietnam team and the U22 Laos team in Group B of the 33rd SEA Games Men's Football. Notably, this is Coach Kim Sang Sik's first SEA Games with Vietnamese football.

Coach Kim Sang Sik. Photo: Contributor.

"SEA Games is an important tournament. Both U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos will fight with all their might for the country's flag. Each group has 3 teams, so every match is important to us. Under the leadership of coach Ha Hyeok Jun, the U22 Laos team has made progress. We (U22 Vietnam) aim for victory and have prepared carefully," said coach Kim Sang Sik.

In the past year, coach Kim Sang Sik has won 4 times against his compatriot Ha Hyeok Jun. However, coach Kim Sang Sik is cautious before the match with U22 Laos. "We have met recently. Most recently, I and the Vietnamese team won 2-0 against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. I respect coach Ha Hyeok Jun. The team members and I have also carefully analyzed the playing style of U22 Laos," coach Kim Sang Sik shared.

Speaking about his first time participating in the SEA Games, Coach Kim Sang Sik affirmed that he will do his best to help U22 Vietnam achieve the best results. The Korean coach also thanked Vietnamese fans for their support throughout the past time.

The match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos will take place at 4pm on December 3. Then, on December 11, U22 Vietnam will compete with U22 Malaysia.

*Previously, on the afternoon of December 1 in Bangkok, Thailand, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation Tran Anh Tu, who is also the leader of the Vietnam U22 team at SEA Games 33, said that the preparation of the Vietnam U22 team for SEA Games 33 was not just limited to a few days of gathering in Ba Ria, but was a long process.

Vice President Tran Anh Tu emphasized: “If we look at the time of gathering after the round of 16 of the National Cup, or the fact that some players arrived late due to the competition schedule of their home club, we can see that the time is urgent. But in reality, the Vietnam U22 team has been stable and trained continuously for the past year. We have had three training trips in China, a quality training trip in Qatar, won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, and then won all the qualifying rounds of the 2026 Asian U23 Championship. That is the whole process of thorough and continuous preparation, to help the team achieve the best condition for the 33rd SEA Games.”

Vice President Tran Anh Tu also affirmed that the Vietnam Football Federation will continue to stand side by side, ensuring all professional, logistical and spiritual conditions for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team to compete and achieve the best results at this congress.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/lan-dau-du-sea-games-hlv-kim-sang-sik-noi-gi--i789869/