Lessons from the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Vietnam face a host of challenges following the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.

Vietnam emerged from the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup with more than disappointing results and injury setbacks. Head coach Kim Sang-sik also failed to achieve the desired results from his attempts to experiment with the squad.

The tournament exposed some of the team's limitations, leaving the South Korean coach with a pressing need to make adjustments as Vietnam prepare for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Even before addressing tactical concerns, Vietnam clearly need fresh faces, or at least greater squad depth, if they hope to compete successfully on the continental stage.

That lesson would not have escaped Kim during the ASEAN Cup, when his side struggled whenever key players were out of form or unavailable through injury.

An uphill race for Kim Sang-sik

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The mounting difficulties leave head coach Kim Sang-sik with plenty to worry about.

With roughly three months until Vietnam open their 2027 Asian Cup campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kim appears to have time to address the team's problems. In reality, however, his preparation window is considerably shorter, effectively running from now until November's FIFA international match window.

The South Korean coach must use that international window, less than a month away, to settle crucial selection questions before submitting his provisional squad to the Asian Cup organisers.

That tight deadline is becoming an even bigger headache when he looks at the fixture schedules of the domestic clubs supplying many of his national team players.

Between October 13 and November 7, when Vietnam are scheduled to assemble for the FIFA international window, Hanoi Police FC and The Cong Viettel each face seven matches, while Ho Chi Minh City Police FC have five.

For players such as Quang Hai, Dinh Bac and Patrik Le Giang, that translates into a demanding schedule, with matches coming roughly every four days on average.

The concern is hardly unfounded. Heavy workloads contributed to Vietnam losing several players to injury after the ASEAN Cup, and there is little guarantee that the situation will improve in the coming weeks.

Injuries remain an obvious threat, but fatigue alone could also prevent Kim from taking risks with his players during November's international fixtures.

That, in turn, would leave him with limited opportunities to assemble his preferred lineup, develop understanding between players or fine-tune new tactical approaches.

On paper, Vietnam still have three months to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup. For Kim, though, the practical timetable is much tighter, and his race against time has already begun.

His challenge goes beyond identifying new talent and assessing the form of his established players. He must also hope that his key performers stay fit and avoid excessive fatigue as Vietnam approach what will be the biggest tournament of his tenure when it kicks off in early 2027.

Duy Nguyen