Head coach Kim Sang Sik: “I am putting in my utmost effort to win a title with the Vietnam national team”
In a press conference before the first-leg semi final match against Singapore at the 2024 AFF Championship, Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized his determination to lead the Vietnam national team to victory and strive for the title in his first time coaching the Golden Stars at the region’s biggest football tournament.
26/12/2024 09:17:30
“I am very happy that the Vietnam national team has reached the semifinals of the ASEAN Cup 2024. Our opponent in the semifinals is Singapore. Everyone is ready and focused on achieving victory. We hope to deliver a good performance tomorrow,” said Coach Kim Sang-sik.
The South Korean coach expressed: “I am doing my utmost to win the title. This is my first major tournament with the Vietnam national team. The biggest goal right now is to defeat Singapore in the semifinals. That’s the first step. After that, we will focus on our long-term goal. The last time Vietnam won the championship was in 2018. I want to make history again and lift the trophy at the 2024 tournament.”
Commenting on the opponent, Coach Kim Sang Sik said: “Singapore is a strong team. My coaching staff and I have been following their matches, both live in the stadium and on television. We have also analyzed Singapore in detail through two meetings. The coaching staff and players have discussed tactics, including when to apply high pressure during the match. Everything is ready. We also had a final training session to complete our preparations before the game.”
Singapore boasts striker Anuar, who is currently leading the scoring chart in the ASEAN Cup 2024. Coach Kim Sang Sik mentioned that he has thoroughly studied the host’s forward. “Regarding the opponent, I have paid attention to Anuar, the player who is leading the scoring list in this year’s ASEAN Cup. I have analyzed him extensively, from his movement to his finishing. Singapore also has other dangerous attacking options. I remind myself to be cautious against Singapore. I hope we will achieve a good result against this opponent tomorrow,” said Coach Kim Sang Sik.
After an impressive debut with the Vietnam national team, striker Nguyễn Xuân Son is now attracting attention from across Southeast Asia. This will undoubtedly bring pressure to the young forward. However, Coach Kim Sang Sik believes that Xuân Son and the other players will know how to handle the psychological pressure.
“Regarding Xuân Son, he had an excellent performance against Myanmar, scoring two goals and providing two assists. Of course, after such a start, Xuân Son has attracted the attention of opponents, the media, and fans, not only in Vietnam but also across Southeast Asia. This means that pressure will come from many aspects. But I believe he has the character to overcome it. Not only Xuân Son, but also the other players in Vietnam are accustomed to pressure. What’s important is that we are a team. We will face challenges together and aim for positive results,” Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized.
The 1976-born coach further shared: “I hope to create a new chapter in history for Vietnamese football in this tournament. The whole team knows that Vietnamese fans have a lot of affection for us. And I believe that this encouragement and support has helped the players fight and achieve victories so far. Although there may not be many fans at the stadium tomorrow, our players will still give their best for the fans. With the love from even those fans watching from afar, we will find the strength to reach victory.”
Joining Coach Kim Sang Sik at the press conference, midfielder Nguyễn Hoàng Đức stated that the team has studied Singapore’s style of play and knows how to handle it. “Singapore often uses long balls to attack, so we will focus and come up with optimal strategies to counter them,” he said. “Additionally, they also build attacks from their own half for direct offense. However, these attacking plays often have mistakes. We will try to exploit their errors to create scoring opportunities.”
