Coach Kim Sang Sik's "lucky" black shirt goes viral after victory over Indonesia, Xuan Manh bows and kisses it emotionally

The impressive 3-0 win against Indonesia at Pakansari helped Vietnam edge closer to the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals, and also created an emotional scene after the game. In the group celebration, defender Pham Xuan Manh suddenly walked over and lowered his head to kiss the black polo shirt of Coach Kim Sang Sik – the garment that fans have come to see as the "lucky charm" of the South Korean coach.

In response to his student's unexpected action, Coach Kim Sang Sik simply smiled with amusement. This moment quickly spread on social media, becoming a symbol of the unity and faith that the Vietnam team is building at the ASEAN Cup 2026.

In fact, the black shirt has been associated with many of Coach Kim's milestones since he took charge of Vietnamese football. Over three years of work, most of the 50-year-old strategist's major titles came when he appeared in his familiar black polo shirt.

He once wore only this shirt throughout the journey that led Vietnam to the ASEAN Cup 2024 championship. Later, the shirt continued to accompany Coach Kim when U23 Vietnam won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and the gold medal at SEA Games 33. At the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, despite losing 0-3 to China in the semifinals, his team bounced back strongly, drawing 2-2 with South Korea before winning on penalties to claim the bronze medal.

Entering the ASEAN Cup 2026, Coach Kim continued wearing the black shirt in the opening match and saw Vietnam thrash Timor Leste 7-0 on July 24. However, in the subsequent match against Singapore, he switched to a white shirt, and the team was unexpectedly held to a 0-0 draw at My Dinh Stadium.

In the press conference before the match against Indonesia, the South Korean coach revealed that he had heard many fans say the white shirt did not bring luck. Therefore, he decided to return to the familiar black shirt.

After the victory at Pakansari, Coach Kim humorously revealed that he had... thrown away the white shirt he wore in the draw with Singapore because he believed it did not bring good results, and even told this story to his wife.

Besides the interesting story about the "lucky shirt", Coach Kim Sang Sik did not forget to praise his players' performance. He highly appreciated the quiet contribution of Tien Anh, and was satisfied with players who started for the first time in this year's tournament, such as Hai Long and Thanh Long, as all completed their tasks well.

With the 3-0 victory on Indonesian soil, the Vietnam team earned a full three points and opened the door wide to the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will return to My Dinh Stadium to host Cambodia at 8 PM on August 7, aiming to complete the group stage with another favorable result.