Coach Kim Sang Sik sets record for most wins over Thailand with Vietnam

Vietnam beat Thailand 2-0 in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final on Saturday, with substitutes Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai scoring in the 62nd and 69th minutes respectively to give the defending champions a significant advantage ahead of the return leg.

The victory also marked a notable milestone for Kim Sang Sik. After four meetings with Thailand at national-team level, the South Korean coach has recorded three wins and one defeat.

Kim’s only loss to Thailand came in a 2-1 friendly defeat at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi in September 2024. Since then, his team have won all three meetings with Thailand in the ASEAN Cup.

In the 2024 ASEAN Cup final, Vietnam won 2-1 at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, before beating Thailand 3-2 at Rajamangala Stadium. Kim’s side lifted the trophy with a 5-3 aggregate victory.

In this year’s first-leg final, Vietnam again defeated Thailand on their home soil, this time by a two-goal margin.

The three victories moved Kim ahead of several renowned coaches who previously led Vietnam.

Alfred Riedl guided Vietnam to a 3-0 win over Thailand in the semifinal of the 1998 Tiger Cup.

Henrique Calisto led Vietnam to a 2-1 victory over Thailand in the first leg of the 2008 AFF Cup final, while Park Hang Seo secured a 1-0 win at the 2019 King’s Cup.

Notably, Park’s only victory over Thailand came at the King’s Cup. In four meetings with Thailand in the AFF Cup, then known as the ASEAN Cup, Vietnam under Park recorded two draws and two defeats.

Kim’s record is even more impressive as all three of his victories over Thailand have come in ASEAN Cup finals, including two at Rajamangala Stadium.

Vietnam, however, must remain focused on the second leg at My Dinh Stadium at 8:00 pm on August 26.