Football

 

HÀ NỘI — Kim Sang-sik has said he expects Việt Nam to set up a historic final against his home country, South Korea, in the AFC U23 Asian Cup.

To do so, Việt Nam will have beat China in the semi-final match tonight to continue their remarkable run for the championship title at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Vietnamese national team have yet to win the Asian Cup title, although they reached the tournament final once before, in 2018.

“I’m extremely happy, honoured and excited to be able to compete for the title alongside South Korea, Japan and China,” said Kim in the pre-match conference on January 19.

“Looking back at our matches, from the game against Jordan through to the quarter-final against the UAE, our players faced many difficulties and tough moments against strong opponents. But each time they showed great fighting spirit and played intelligently. That is why we are where we are now."

Kim, who led the team to secure three regional titles in 2025, said that as always, Việt Nam are stepping up to another new challenge in football. He added that he expects another difficult match, but the entire team will fight calmly and bravely and do the utmost to achieve their goal.

“I expect China to be tough. They are in the semi-finals for the first time and will be highly motivated, with a strong defence led by goalkeeper Li Hao,” said Kim.

"However, we are fully prepared and will perform at our best. We have maintained a never-give-up spirit and intelligent play throughout the tournament. That is the foundation that has helped us reach this stage, and we will continue to build on that."

The 47-year-old tactician also expressed appreciation for the high level of support from Vietnamese fans in both Saudi Arabia and Việt Nam.

 

He said he was happy to see fans express their special affection for him through humorous memes on social media.

"Even though I'm here, I'm still keeping up with the news in Việt Nam, and I know that fans are photoshopping me into Harry Potter memes, which looks quite funny," said Kim, who added that he expects to continue receiving strong support in the semi-final match.

Goalkeeper Trần Trung Kiên also took part in the conference, and confirmed that Việt Nam are fully focused on another win.

“The whole team are in very good spirits and are determined to advance to the final,” said Kiên, who made 12 outstanding saves in four games.

“I will play using all my abilities and with full concentration. Every match is different, but staying focused is not a problem for us.”

Kiên also said he looks forward to facing Li Hao, who denied all attempts from opposing strikers on China's way to the semi-finals. 

Li has made 24 saves, the most by any goalkeeper in any of the last four editions of the competition. Among goalkeepers to have faced more than five shots on target in tournament history, he is the only one to maintain a 100 per cent save rate.

“I think for a goalkeeper to play through four matches and still keep a clean sheet is a remarkable achievement. I believe he is a very good and well-rounded goalkeeper with all the necessary skills. However, we will give 100 per cent to win,” Kiên said.

He added that China have improved a lot since the Panda Cup in November, at which they lost 1-0 to Việt Nam.

They are now united and stronger, making the semi-final match more competitive, according to Kiên.

 

For his part, China coach Antonio Puche was cautious about going up against Việt Nam.

“We’re very happy to be here. This is a fantastic experience for me, the team and everyone involved,” said Puche, whose side has advanced to the semis for the first time in history.

“Our approach has always been to take it game by game. Reaching the semi-final is a big dream for us, and we will give our best to reach the final.

“We know Việt Nam well, having played them two or three times before. They are very well organised, are hard to break down and have an extraordinary offensive transition. Tomorrow will certainly be a very difficult game but my players are aware and ready for the challenge.”

The Spaniard admitted that China has had one less day of rest than Việt Nam, which is a disadvantage at this stage of the tournament.

However, Chinese players will recover well and play with high spirit and focus, he said. — VNS