*This content was translated by AI.
Coach Kim Sang-sik, who led Vietnam to the semifinals of the U-23 Asian Cup for the first time in eight years, threw a serious bid ahead of the match against China. He also expressed his desire to face his country in the final.
According to the Vietnam Football Association (VFF), head coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his strong will to advance to the final at a press conference before the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup semifinals on the 19th (Korea time), saying, "Vietnam's U-23 national team is determined to overcome our own limits."
First of all, head coach Kim Sang-sik said, "I'm very happy and honored to reach the semifinals," adding, "I had to fight against very strong opponents until Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and I had a lot of difficulties. In all games, Vietnam showed a strong will and intelligent play. That's why Vietnam's U-23 national team is here," he praised the players.
He did not let down his guard against China, his opponent in the semifinals, but vowed to win. Manager Kim Sang-sik said, "Tomorrow is going to be a very difficult game. China's U-23 national team has advanced to the semifinals for the first time, so it will certainly have very high mental strength and motivation, he said. "But we also have a great determination to go beyond our own limits." The entire team will bravely pour everything into it and move toward the goal of winning," he stressed.
As for the opponent's power, "China's defense is strong enough to allow only one goal since the start of the tournament. "The goalkeeper is very stable and the defenders' concentration is high," he said, adding, "But we have perfectly prepared tactics and scenarios for tomorrow's game."
The source of confidence is the victory of last year's Panda Cup. Coach Kim Sang-sik explained, "The memory of beating China 1-0 in the Panda Cup is one of the reasons why our players can have confidence in tomorrow's game."
In addition, head coach Kim Sang-sik said, "We know that the Chinese team has changed several positions compared to the Panda Cup, and that their physical condition and determination are great," adding, "Vietnam is also determined to conquer new challenges beyond its limits." I will prepare really well and win," he said.
In particular, coach Kim Sang-sik did not hide his expectations for a showdown with his country, South Korea.
According to the Vietnamese media 'Tien Phong', head coach Kim Sang-sik said in an interview on the same day, "I dream of the final between the Vietnamese U-23 team and the Korean U-23 team," adding, "I hope Vietnam will beat China tomorrow." In the semi-finals on the other side, I hope South Korea will beat Japan and come up," he said.
According to Kim Sang-sik's wish, Lee Min-sung's Korean U-23 national team in the opposite match should beat Japan.
It is the first time in eight years that two Korean coaches have reached the semifinals of the tournament since Kim Bong-gil (Korea) and Park Hang-seo (Vietnam) in 2018. At that time, South Korea was eliminated from the semifinals, and the final meeting failed.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's match between Vietnam and China will be held at 0:30 a.m. on the 21st, and coach Lee Min-sung's match between South Korea and Japan will be held at 8:30 p.m. on the 20th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
