Coach Kim: 'Vietnam team will not lose 0-6 to Korea again'

Coach Kim Sang-sik. Photo: Bao Ngoc.

In an interview with Chosun, coach Kim Sang-sik revealed that he had proposed a friendly match between the Vietnamese and Korean teams. The two teams had met in 2023, when the Vietnamese team led by coach Philippe Troussier lost 0-6.

"I promise I won't lose by 6 goals like in 2023. The Korean team is very strong. However, I understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Vietnamese players, so maybe we can at least draw," Kim Sang-sik joked when asked if he was confident in helping the Vietnamese team defeat his home team.

The 48-year-old coach also emphasized that Vietnamese players now have eating and training conditions that are not inferior to their Korean counterparts, but are still at a disadvantage in terms of physical fitness.

Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnamese team has not had many opportunities to compete with strong teams in the top 8 of Asia or the top 30 of the world (according to FIFA rankings). The strongest opponents that the Korean coach has faced in the past year are Iraq (ranked 56th) and Russia (ranked 34th).

Kim Sang-sik’s most important tournament in the first half of his contract is the 2024 AFF Cup, where the Vietnamese team will face regional opponents - most of whom are outside the world’s top 100 (except Thailand). The championship helps coach Kim Sang-sik restore his honor. Previously, since being fired by Jeonbuk club, he had not dared to face the media due to the strong wave of criticism.

"I have regained the honor that had fallen to rock bottom," coach Kim Sang-sik said about his decision to work in Vietnam.

“Now I can show Korean fans that I am still alive, that my time is not over. Even though I have won many titles as a player, assistant and coach, people still say that Jeonbuk is already strong, even if a comedian is the coach, they can still win the championship. When we win, it is obvious, but when we lose, is it the coach's fault?"

The South Korean added: "I came here with the mindset that for a national team coach, everything depends on results, not contracts. To restore honor through winning the championship like this is already very lucky. I still don't intend to unpack everything - and I'm not sure I will unpack everything. Coach Park once said that we are not the boss here, so let's stay humble. I'm also trying not to be arrogant, to stay humble in everything."

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-kim-tuyen-viet-nam-se-khong-thua-0-6-han-quoc-nua-post1542667.html