Korean newspaper: 'Coach Kim Sang-sik rewrites Vietnamese football history'

"National hero goes beyond 'Papa Park Hang-seo', Coach Kim Sang-sik rewrites the history of Vietnamese football! 22-game unbeaten run + reaching the semifinals." That was the title of a piece in Chosun on the morning of August 9.

Coach Kim Sang-sik has once again written a new chapter in history. Leading the Vietnamese national football team, he has extended the unbeaten streak at the national team level to 22 matches, thereby setting a new historic milestone.

The Vietnamese team under Coach Kim Sang-sik defeated Cambodia 3-1 in the final match of Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup, which took place on August 7 (Korean time) at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam.

With this result, the Vietnamese team topped the group with a record of 3 wins and 1 draw (10 points), thereby officially securing a spot in the semifinals. The journey toward defending the championship is also going smoothly.

Most notably, this victory helped Vietnam extend its unbeaten run in international matches at the national team level to 22 consecutive games (19 wins, 3 draws). This is the longest unbeaten streak in the history of Vietnamese football. Coach Kim Sang-sik had previously surpassed the 18-match unbeaten record set during the era of Coach Park Hang-seo, and now he continues to write new chapters.

The Vietnamese team took the initiative from the start of the match. In the 18th minute, Nguyen Dinh Bac unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area, scoring the opening goal and giving his team the advantage.

However, the match did not go as easily as expected. Despite controlling the game, they could not add another goal, and Vietnam's defense was breached by a long pass in the 26th minute of the second half, allowing Iago Bento to score the equalizer.

Nevertheless, Coach Kim Sang-sik's troops were not shaken. In the 39th minute of the second half, a shot by Nguyen Xuan Son deflected off an opposing defender and became an own goal, helping Vietnam regain the lead. Then in the 44th minute, Nguyen Dinh Bac executed a delicate lob to seal the victory.

The Vietnamese team will face Malaysia, the runner-up of Group B, in the semifinals in a home-and-away format. Vietnam will play the first leg away on August 16 and the return leg at home on August 19, aiming to reach the final. In Group B, Thailand and Malaysia secured the two semifinal berths.

Coach Kim Sang-sik has firmly etched his name into the history of Vietnamese football. Last year, he led Vietnam back to the Hyundai Cup championship.

If he continues to triumph in this tournament, he will help Vietnam successfully defend the championship, while also earning his second personal title at the tournament. This is an achievement that former coach Park Hang-seo never attained.

That is precisely why Vietnamese fans chant "Sang Sik magic" and give passionate support to Coach Kim Sang-sik.