Just days before the team heads to Thailand, the Korean coach shared his confidence in the team's current form and focus during training in Ba Ria.

“My players and I are having a smooth training camp in Ba Ria, with good weather and solid physical condition,” he said.

“The entire team is healthy, and we’ve made the best possible preparations for SEA Games. This will be my first time coaching at a SEA Games, so I’m both excited and a bit nervous. Since arriving in Vietnam 1.5 years ago, I’ve had some success with the U23 squad. I hope to lead the team to another strong performance,” he shared.

Commenting on the competition, Kim said: “Our first goal is to get through the group stage. Laos is a slightly weaker team, but the opening match is always challenging. We’ll aim to score as many goals as possible to gain an advantage over Malaysia.”

“Against Malaysia, we need to prepare more carefully. We’ve been analyzing their match against Laos to come up with the best strategy to beat them.”

He added: “Teams in other groups are also strong, so we must be well-prepared. After the group stage, our approach will be to fight for victory one match at a time.”

Coach Kim also revealed that on November 29, the final squad list for U22 Vietnam will be announced.

“As the head coach, this is one of the hardest decisions. I’ve lost sleep trying to determine the strongest lineup for SEA Games 33,” he said.

“I wish I could bring every player with me, as they’ve all been training and living with discipline and dedication. But regulations don’t allow that, so I’m being extra careful in selecting the best 23 players for the tournament.”

The Korean coach expressed particular sadness over the injury of team captain Van Truong.

“He has contributed so much to the success of U23 Vietnam. It truly broke my heart when he got injured. After tomorrow’s internal scrimmage, we will do our best to find the most suitable replacement for his role.”

According to the schedule, Coach Kim Sang Sik and the U22 Vietnam team will fly to Thailand on December 1, with their first match set against U22 Laos two days later.

Duy Nguyen