On the afternoon of December 2, coach Kim Sang-sik attended a press conference before the match with U22 Laos in the first match of the 33rd SEA Games men's football tournament.
The Korean coach shared: "The opening match tomorrow is very important for U22 Vietnam. In fact, Mr. Ha Hyeok-jun has helped U22 Laos become much stronger.
Therefore, the upcoming match will be a difficult one for our goal of passing the group stage. The whole team will focus on the match, looking for the best result".
In 2025, Laos and Vietnam will regularly meet at regional tournaments with different national team levels, from the ASEAN Cup, the Asian Cup qualifiers to the 33rd SEA Games.
"Laos and Vietnam have met many times at the national team level, where the Vietnamese team won all. But Mr. Ha (coach Ha Hyeok-jun) has done a very good job in terms of tactics, management, organization... to help Lao football progress.
I really respect the Laos U22 team. The upcoming match will not be easy at all. We have prepared well, focused and made step-by-step progress. I hope the next match will see both teams play well. U22 Vietnam will try to achieve the goal in tomorrow's match," coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized.
Before going to Thailand, U22 Vietnam had many domestic and international training trips, notably the Panda Cup friendly tournament with strong opponents and 2 practice matches with U23 Qatar. This is the luggage for Mr. Kim Sang-sik and his team to compete for the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games.
The opening match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos at the 33rd SEA Games will take place at 4:00 p.m. on December 3.
