Coach Kim Sang Sik: Vietnam must beat Pakistan

The Vietnam team held their final training session on Thursday afternoon in preparation for their Group B clash with Pakistan at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium at 4:00 pm on Friday.

Before the session, Kim spoke to Vietnamese media about the team’s preparations and their target for the match.

“Although we cannot qualify for the final, we are still doing our best to prepare for our last group-stage match. The whole team has been analyzing videos to study our opponents.

“This will be the first time we face Pakistan, and we must win. We will try to make this match a good opportunity for the whole team to grow,” Kim said.

Goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang needed two stitches on his elbow after colliding with the goalpost during Vietnam’s 2-0 loss to Thailand on Monday.

Kim said the team would continue monitoring Le Giang’s injury before deciding whether he would play against Pakistan.

“I will discuss it with the coaching staff, including goalkeeper coach Lee Won Jae, before deciding whether to play him or replace him with Trung Kien,” Kim said.

The South Korean coach reiterated that Vietnam’s target is to beat Pakistan.

“We need a win to qualify for the third-place playoff, so the whole team’s target is to beat Pakistan. Although we lost to Thailand, the whole team will overcome the disappointment and address our problems to put in a good performance tomorrow,” he said.

Kim also thanked Vietnamese fans for supporting the team and called for continued backing in their remaining matches.

“We will definitely prepare well for the match against Pakistan and the upcoming third-place playoff to bring a victory to the fans.”

Vietnam will face Pakistan in their final Group B match, with qualification for the third-place playoff at stake.

After two matches, Thailand have six points and have secured top spot in Group B and a place in the final.

Vietnam are second with three points and a goal difference of -1, while the Philippines and Pakistan have one point each, in third and fourth place respectively.

Vietnam are well placed, as a draw against Pakistan would be enough to secure second place in the group.

However, with Pakistan considered the weaker side, Vietnam will be looking not only to secure a place in the third-place playoff but also to claim a convincing victory.

At the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, Vietnam are in Group B alongside the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan. They faced the Philippines on September 26, Thailand on September 29 and will play Pakistan on October 2.

The Group B winners will advance to the final against the winners of Group A and compete for the US$650,000 championship prize.

The original prize for the champion was $1 million, but FIFA reduced it to $650,000 after the tournament’s television broadcasting rights proved difficult to sell for a high price.