'Kim Sang-sik magic' looks poised to even surpass coach Park Hang-seo's legend.
The Vietnam national football team led by coach Kim Sang-sik crushed archrival Thailand 2-0 on the 22nd (Korea time) at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium in the first leg of the 2026 AFF Championship (Hyundai Cup) final.
Having won by two goals away, Vietnam will claim the championship even if it loses the second leg in Hanoi on the 26th by one goal. Vietnam will attempt to win the tournament for a second consecutive time.
With this victory, Vietnam recorded 22 wins and 3 draws in 25 A matches, extending an unbeaten run to 25 matches. It is the longest unbeaten streak in Vietnam's football history, something not achieved even during coach Park Hang-seo's tenure.
The outcome was decided in the second half. Vietnam broke the deadlock. In the 17th minute of the second half, Nguyen Hai Long scored the opener to give Vietnam a 1-0 lead. Vietnam kept up the momentum. In the 24th minute of the second half, Nguyen Quang Hai added a second, and they were suddenly ahead by two goals.
Thailand launched an all-out attack in the final stages of the second half to mount a comeback. But Vietnam goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm made a series of crucial saves to stop Thailand's pursuit. In the end, Vietnam scored two goals away and kept a clean sheet to secure a valuable victory.
Founded in 1996, the ASEAN Championship is a major international tournament that determines the strongest team in Southeast Asia. Vietnam first reached the top in 2008 and won a second title in 2018 under coach Park Hang-seo. But even the great coach Park Hang-seo failed to win back-to-back titles in the tournament. Coach Kim Sang-sik brought Vietnam its third overall championship in 2024. If coach Kim Sang-sik secures a second consecutive tournament title, he will unquestionably rise to become a national hero of Vietnam football.
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