Head coach Kim Sang-sik called Vietnam's 0-1 defeat by Malaysia on October 5 and its fourth-place finish at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 disappointing. He described the tournament as preparation for the Asian Cup early next year.
Vietnam entered the tournament as regional champion after retaining the ASEAN Cup title in August. The team lost 0-2 to Thailand and finished second in its group before losing to Malaysia in the third-place match.
Kim said the result disappointed him and the fans. Vietnam had only one day of training before flying to Indonesia and played three days later. Thành Chung, Quang Hải and Văn Hậu missed the tournament through injury, while several other key players had not fully recovered after a long run of matches.
"The players gave everything, but we really had little time to prepare and many were not at full fitness. Even so, the team disappointed. As head coach, I take full responsibility for the result," Kim said at a press conference after the match at Bung Karno Stadium.
The tournament in Indonesia was Vietnam's final official competition of 2026. During the November FIFA window, the team will play two friendlies. In December, the players will attend an overseas training camp before the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5.
"Now we need to look toward 2027. We will prepare and play better at the Asian Cup. The team must learn from this year, and I will continue to follow and stay in contact with the players. I hope Vietnam will achieve a better result at the next major tournament," Kim said.
Vietnam had the stronger head-to-head record before the match, with 19 wins and 5 draws in 27 meetings, and was unbeaten in its previous 12 matches against Malaysia, winning 11 and drawing one. At Bung Karno Stadium, however, Kim's team had 52% possession.
Vietnam had twice as many shots, 14 to 7, but only four on target. Malaysia scored from three shots on target. Substitute Fergus Tierney scored about 100 seconds after coming on in the 60th minute, striking from outside the penalty area. The ball went between Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh's legs, leaving goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang unable to react.
Sources: VnExpress
