Coach Kim Sang-sik: ‘Thailand will attack strongly, Vietnam must forget the win in the first leg!’

Message from coach Kim Sang-sik

The Vietnamese team is close to winning the AFF Cup 2024 championship after a 2-1 victory over Thailand in the first leg of the final. However, the challenge in the second leg will be more difficult to overcome, when coach Kim Sang-sik and his team face the Thais at Rajamangala Stadium.

Responding to the press before the epic match at 8:00 p.m. on January 4, coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed that the first thing the Vietnamese team needs to do is forget the advantage they had over Thailand.

“I am satisfied with the Vietnamese team’s 2-1 victory at Viet Tri Stadium, but the whole team needs to forget that match soon. Remember, the Thai team is very strong at home. They will play attack, put strong pressure on Vietnam. However, we are prepared. Hopefully tomorrow, the players will play well and win the championship,” coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized.

Besides the heat of a real “pan of fire”, Rajamangala Stadium or other home stadiums used by Thailand also give this team confidence. In the last 15 matches played at home, Thailand lost only 2 matches, both against top-class Asian teams like China or Korea. And in the AFF Cup, Thailand has been unbeaten in the last 27 matches (won 22, drawn 5) when playing at “homes” like Rajamangala or Thammasat.

For the past 16 years, the home field has been a strong stronghold for Thai people to dominate the AFF Cup. Because even if they lose away from home, Thailand always reverses the return match at home.

“The pressure from the Thai audience is huge, but I have mentally prepared the players. They have a very strong spirit so I think it will not be a big problem for the whole team,” coach Kim Sang-sik is confident.

Fight to the end

The Vietnamese team has only won the AFF Cup twice, while Thailand has sat on the throne 7 times. 6 years after winning the Southeast Asian championship, Mr. Kim’s students are still on their way back to the top again. The 2023 crisis has forced Vietnamese football to restructure at the team level and according to Mr. Kim, achieving today’s achievements is not easy.

“The AFF Cup is a special tournament for both Vietnamese and Korean fans. I know the Vietnamese team has not won this playground in 6 years. The past few months have not been easy for me and the players to get together. Comprehend tactics and build the current team.

I thank all the members of the coaching staff, logistics staff, players, and medical staff who have come together to this day. We stick together from the football field to life to create a united team. We will fight like we have practiced until we achieve the set goal,” coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized.

The Korean strategist affirmed that he clearly understood that the match between the Vietnam and Thailand teams was not only purely about football, but also about the pride of the two countries.

“This is not only a match between two national teams, but also a match for national pride. We are two coaches from Korea and Japan, rival football backgrounds. But, I just want to focus on tomorrow’s match. Personally, Mr. Ishii and I have no problems with each other. A few days ago, I won against Mr. Ishii. We went to Thailand to repeat that achievement more and win the championship”, coach Kim Sang-sik concluded.

One of the obstacles for the Vietnamese team is the weather difference between the two countries. However, Mr. Kim was well prepared: “The difference in climate is huge. Within 1 month, we have about 8 matches with all kinds of different weather. This causes difficulties, making demand difficult.” Players are physically affected. However, we know how to deal with those things. The whole team will try their best.”