HÀ NỘI — Coach Kim Sang-sik remained cautious ahead of the match against Cambodia, although Việt Nam need only a draw to secure a place in the semi-finals of the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.

Việt Nam will host their neighbours in their final Group A match at the newly renovated Mỹ Đình Stadium on the evening of August 7. At the same time, Indonesia will face hosts Singapore in a crucial encounter as the Merah Putih seek to keep their title hopes alive.

Speaking at a press conference on August 6, Kim said his players had been instructed to remain fully focused in both training and competition. Although the defending champions are considered far stronger than their opponents, he stressed that Việt Nam must not become complacent and would approach the game with the utmost seriousness, with victory firmly in their sights.

“Our first objective is to win tomorrow’s match because we want to finish top of the group,” said Kim. “We did not score in our previous home match against Singapore, which was disappointing. Tomorrow, we will try harder to produce a better attacking performance.”

Kim made several changes to his starting line-up for the game against Indonesia, with regular starters dropping to the bench while several substitutes were given opportunities to shine. The changes paid off for Việt Nam.

“We did not take our opportunities against Singapore. After that match, we worked very hard and prepared carefully, which helped us achieve a good result against Indonesia,” said Kim.

“Several players were given the opportunity to start that match and performed very well. That showed the importance of every player understanding the team’s system and fulfilling their role. We will continue working in the same way as we prepare for Cambodia.”

The Cambodians have already been eliminated from the Cup, but coach Koji Gyotoku hopes his team can close out their campaign with another positive performance after beating Timor-Leste 3-0 on August 4.

“Unfortunately, we can no longer qualify for the semi-finals. However, we still have another match to play, and we hope to gain valuable experience from facing Việt Nam,” he said.

“We have had some challenges with the squad, but we performed well against Timor-Leste. There is now a good atmosphere within the team, and I believe we are continuing to make progress. We will try to produce another good performance against Việt Nam.”

However, Cambodia have a dismal record against the hosts, having lost all seven of their previous encounters in the tournament, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

In Singapore, Indonesia coach John Herdman vowed his team would be well prepared as they seek to book a place in the next round.

“Singapore are a very different team from Việt Nam. Every match presents a different challenge, and Singapore possess a different identity and different qualities. The players understand how important this match is,” he said.

“As the coach, my responsibility is to keep them calm and focused on the process that brings the group together and helps us win matches. They will be ready.”

A draw will be enough for Singapore to advance to the semi-finals ahead of Indonesia, but Herdman does not believe Lions coach Gavin Lee will pack his defence in an attempt to secure the point his side need.

Instead, he expects his players to maintain their composure as they seek to make amends for their defeat to Việt Nam.

Singapore, who will be without the suspended Kyoga Nakamura, are looking to reach the semi-finals for the third time in four tournaments.

“We entered the competition saying that we wanted our performances to determine our destination, and that should not change tomorrow night,” said Lee. “We cannot allow the situation or the potential outcome to affect the way we play.

“We have reached this point by playing with our identity and expressing our football, so we should not allow the qualification equation to influence our approach.

“However, should the situation require certain decisions in the closing minutes, we will be intelligent enough to make them. For now, our approach remains unchanged.” — VNS