Football

HÀ NỘI — Coach Kim Sang-sik said his U23 team will give their all to win the third-place match against South Korea at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

His defiant message comes after the 0-3 loss to China in the semi-final in the early  hours of Wednesday morning (Hà Nội time).

“This is not the end. We will prepare well to face South Korea and are determined to win,” coach Kim stated.

After the semi-final, coach Kim could not hide his disappointment, noting that the Vietnamese team fought valiantly, especially given their short-handed situation.

"It's very regrettable that we couldn't win," he said.

"I thank the players for fighting with all their might until the last moments. They truly worked hard."

He also offered an apology to Vietnamese fans for the team's inability to reach the final, emphasising that the tournament journey is not over yet.

Assessing the opponent, coach Kim admitted that the Chinese team were strong and deserved to be in the final. However, he also highlighted that the tournament showcased the clear progress of the Vietnamese U23 players.

Kim said: "The Chinese U23 team reached the final and they are very strong in this tournament. This is the first time I have faced the Chinese U23 team, and I was truly surprised by their defensive organisation.

"Asian teams are improving rapidly and the gap in skill level is narrowing. China have made significant progress recently, and so have Việt Nam. While we couldn't reach the final, the Vietnamese U23 team have proven their ability and character on the continental stage."

Regarding tactics, coach Kim noted that the personnel plan for the second half was significantly affected by Nguyễn Hiểu Minh’s injury.

"I planned to bring on Nguyễn Đình Bắc and add another player with speed, but Minh’s injury prevented us from implementing that plan," Kim said.

“Additionally, a lack of concentration during set pieces also contributed to the decisive goal we conceded.”

While expressing dissatisfaction with the team's pressing and passing ability in the first half, Coach Kim praised the overall team spirit of the Vietnamese squad. He pointed out that this cohesion and unified fighting spirit helped the team overcome many opponents with superior physicality and stamina, enabling them to advance to the semi-finals.

He added: "From the first qualifying matches to the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team have always faced physically stronger teams.

"While individually there's nothing particularly outstanding about each player, our players exhibit a strong team spirit and cohesion, playing as one unit. That’s the main reason we reached the semi-finals."

Việt Nam will conclude their 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup journey with a third-place match against South Korea at 10pm on January 23, while Japan and China will compete in the final at 10pm on January 24. — VNS