Vietnam has won a second consecutive ASEAN championship under Korean coach Kim Sang-sik, beating Thailand 4-2 on aggregate in the final. The result gave Vietnam its fourth title in the regional tournament and extended the national team's unbeaten run to 26 matches, with 22 wins and four draws. Kim described the achievement with pride but emphasized adaptability and clear direction rather than any single tactical secret.
The bigger story is what comes next. Regional success has raised expectations that Vietnam can turn sustained form into progress on the World Cup stage. Kim has explicitly spoken about qualification as the next dream, but that challenge will require results against stronger and more varied opposition than the ASEAN field. For Korean football, his run also continues the country's visible coaching influence in Vietnam after Park Hang-seo's earlier success.