Coach Kim Sang Sik: 'Keeping a clean sheet against Nepal is a crucial task'

13/10/2025 17:35:00 VictoryVox

Scoring many goals against Nepal in the second leg is a mandatory objective for the Vietnam national team, but Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized that maintaining a clean sheet is equally important.

"In the match on October 9th, Vietnam won 3-1, so in tomorrow’s return leg, our goal is to continue winning and secure all 3 points.

Surely Nepal will defend deeply, so Vietnam must improve finishing to score more goals.

Nepal will sit back in defense, so we must coordinate well, move smartly, and finish better. I hope the players will give their all when playing at Thong Nhat Stadium in front of our fans.

Not only on set pieces, we are also searching for optimal strategies for each player and the entire team to increase scoring chances.

In the previous match, we wanted a safe game plan, so we didn’t start with the U23 players.

Coach Kim Sang Sik aims for Vietnam to keep a clean sheet against Nepal. Photo: Tuan Pham

The U23 players are fully capable of competing for starting spots on the Vietnam team and deserve their chances.

However, at this moment, I cannot reveal which players will start tomorrow’s match. I will continue to discuss with the coaching staff," Coach Kim Sang Sik began the pre-match press conference held at 16:10 today (October 13).

He added: "Player Bui Tien Dung played the first half in the first leg but then had back pain and has missed recent team trainings.

Dung will not play in the second leg, but Vietnam still has many other players capable of stepping in.

The coaching staff is working to fill Tien Dung’s position. Scoring many goals is very important, but not conceding is just as crucial.

To win big tomorrow, I really hope Tien Linh will score multiple goals. In the previous match, Vietnam had 24 chances and scored three goals.

For the second leg, the team has prepared actively, and I believe the players will show enough ability and confidence to score even more.

If tickets are scarce, Thong Nhat Stadium will surely be packed with fans, right? Recently, Tien Linh has been asking me for tickets repeatedly. This is my first time playing with the team at Thong Nhat Stadium, and I hope to deliver a great match for the supporters. I will perform my usual celebration dance if Vietnam wins the championship again."

Meanwhile, striker Tien Linh shared: "The second leg against Nepal is very important. After winning the first leg, Vietnam is preparing actively for the rematch.

Vietnam hasn’t played at Thong Nhat Stadium for a long time; surely the crowd will be very large. I hope the team wins to dedicate the victory to the fans.

Many young players have been called up this time and they are eager to prove themselves.

Linh wants to tell the young players to go onto the field with fighting spirit and a strong desire to win when given the chance.

Enjoy the match atmosphere and cherish the opportunity the head coach has given you. This is also the best preparation for the SEA Games at the end of the year – an important tournament for Vietnamese football.

Being third on the team’s top scorers list, Linh doesn’t pay much attention to that.

The most important thing is to play for the national team alongside teammates. As a striker, my role is obviously to score goals.

Coach Le Huynh Duc has encouraged me a lot lately. Not only Coach Le Huynh Duc but many people are counting on Tien Linh. I want to repay that trust with my performance and goals."

Comment (0)