Vietnam's run under Kim Sang-sik continues as team reaches U-23 quarters with three straight wins

The Vietnamese national team became the first Southeast Asian team to reach the AFC U-23 Asian Cup quarterfinals earlier this week with three straight group stage wins, continuing its successful run under Korean manager Kim Sang-sik.

Vietnam beat host Saudi Arabia 1-0 on Monday for their third victory in Group A, after securing a 2-0 win over Jordan and a 2-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan.

Vietnam's most notable performance on the international stage has come under Kim, who took the helm in May 2024.

Since taking over both the senior and U-23 national teams, Kim has seen a string of success. He won the Mitsubishi Cup with the senior team in January 2025, added the AFF U-23 Championship trophy in July that year and then clinched the 2025 Southeast Asian Games title — a feat not even former manager Park Hang-seo accomplished in a single year.

Kim's successful journey builds on Park's strong legacy with Vietnam. Over five successful years with Vietnam from 2017 to 2023, Park brought Vietnamese football to a significantly higher level, raising the country’s FIFA ranking from around 130 to the low 90s. Vietnam’s football development also accelerated under Park’s leadership, with clubs in the V. League increasing their investment.

In preparations for this year's Asian Cup, Kim reportedly traveled to lower-tier leagues in Vietnam to scout players, and also sought advice from Park on key personnel decisions.

The current national team includes players who enjoy celebrity-like status among fans. Kim has built trust with them by taking a grounded, older-brother approach, even bringing Korean ginseng and cosmetics for players to gift to their families.

Vietnamese fans have nicknamed Kim “Uncle Sau,” a play on the Vietnamese word for six — “sáu” — which resembles the pronunciation of “Sang,” the first syllable of his given name.

“I hope we can create another miracle in the quarterfinals,” Kim said.

Vietnam faces the United Arab Emirates in the quarterfinals on Friday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]

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