Coach Kim Sang Sik rejuvenates the Vietnam national team

06/10/2025 08:55:00 GoalGuru

Coach Kim Sang Sik has included as many as eight U23 players in the Vietnam national team squad preparing for the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Giving young players the chance to "test themselves" demonstrates the Korean coach’s strong determination to bring fresh energy to the national team.

1. Names like Trần Trung Kiên, Nguyễn Hiểu Minh, Nguyễn Nhật Minh, Khuất Văn Khang, Nguyễn Xuân Bắc, Nguyễn Phi Hoàng, Nguyễn Đình Bắc, and Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn form the core of the Vietnam U23 team that recently won the Southeast Asian championship and qualified for the U23 Asian Cup finals. Many of these players have secured regular starting positions at their clubs and have become key contributors to their teams.

Not all these players are new faces in the Vietnam national team. Trần Trung Kiên, Khuất Văn Khang, and Nguyễn Đình Bắc have been called up multiple times before. Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn also had the chance to debut for the national team in 2023 under coach Philippe Troussier.

Nevertheless, having one-third of the Vietnam squad this time made up of U23 players brings hope for something genuinely fresh in the matches against Nepal's national team.

It can be seen that the newcomers called up this time are spread evenly across all positions: defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Clearly, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s aim is long-term, gradually consolidating and building a solid foundation for a Vietnam team with depth across all lines. These newcomers will have the opportunity to play and showcase themselves against Nepal, who are considered weaker than Vietnam, in matches on October 9 and 14.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is completely confident to conduct strong experiments in the upcoming two matches. Nepal is not a strong opponent, currently ranked 176th in the FIFA rankings, 62 spots below Vietnam. In the first two matches of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal lost 0-2 to Malaysia and 1-2 to Laos. Clearly, this is the most suitable opponent for the Korean coach to give young players the chance to play.

Nguyễn Hiểu Minh is one of the key U23 players called up by Coach Kim Sang Sik to gain experience with the national team during this training camp. Photo: Hoàng Linh

2. Coach Kim Sang Sik’s challenge is that besides winning, the Vietnam team also needs to reshape their playstyle toward full pressing, more proactive and methodical attacking. When given opportunities, young players need lighter matches to gradually integrate with the Vietnam national team. Nepal is the perfect challenge for rookies like Hiểu Minh, Xuân Bắc, Phi Hoàng, and Nhật Minh to gain more experience and confidently move forward on the new journey with the Vietnam national team.

Besides nurturing the youth, Coach Kim Sang Sik needs to rotate the squad to promote healthy competition within the Vietnam team. Alongside the U23 generation, the Vietnam team in this call-up still has experienced core players like Đặng Văn Lâm, Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Bùi Tiến Dũng, Hoàng Đức, Tiến Linh, and Phạm Tuấn Hải. These familiar figures will support the young players, helping them integrate quickly into the Vietnam national team environment.

Moreover, competing with the seniors is also motivation for the newcomers to prove themselves. Some key positions in the Vietnam team have recently shown signs of declining performance, and having younger, fitter, and more diverse backup options is necessary.

Fans are eagerly awaiting a new breath of life in the national team, as the presence of young faces will definitely create a competitive environment and drive each individual to strive harder within the squad.

This will significantly contribute to raising the overall quality of the team. Furthermore, with many new elements, Vietnam’s playing style will become more varied, unpredictable, and able to surprise opponents more often.

Clearly, the Vietnam national team needs to "break free" from both professional and mental inertia after winning the ASEAN Cup 2024.

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