Head coach Kim Sang Sik makes history as Vietnam retain ASEAN Cup title

Vietnam successfully defended their regional title after drawing 2-2 with Thailand in the second leg of the final at My Dinh Stadium on Wednesday, securing a 4-2 aggregate victory.

The triumph marked the first time Vietnam had retained the Southeast Asian title, following their championship run in 2024.

The Golden Dragons also went unbeaten across the two consecutive ASEAN Cup campaigns.

Kim, 49, is therefore the first coach to win back-to-back Southeast Asian championships with Vietnam.

Before him, Henrique Calisto and Park Hang Seo had guided Vietnam to championships in 2008 and 2018, respectively.

The South Korean tactician also joins a select group of coaches to have won the Southeast Asian championship twice, alongside Peter Withe of Thailand, Radojko Avramović of Singapore, Kiatisuk Senamuang of Thailand, and Mano Polking of Thailand.

Kim took charge of Vietnam in 2024 and has since enjoyed an impressive run of successes at both senior and U23 levels.

Besides the two ASEAN Cup titles, he guided Vietnam’s U23 team to the 2025 AFF U23 Championship and the football gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games, before securing third place at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Kim is also overseeing a 26-match unbeaten run with Vietnam’s senior national team, the longest such streak in Southeast Asian international football history.