On the evening of August 22, the Vietnamese team won 2-0 against Thailand in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final at Rajamangala Stadium. Two players who came on as substitutes, Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai, scored in the 62nd and 69th minutes respectively, helping the Vietnamese team create a great advantage before the second leg.
This victory also helped coach Kim Sang-sik set a remarkable milestone in the history of confrontations between Vietnam and Thailand.
After 4 encounters with Thailand since leading the Vietnamese team, the Korean strategist has 3 wins and 1 defeat. The only defeat took place in a friendly match at My Dinh Stadium in September 2024, when the Vietnamese team lost 1-2.
After that defeat, coach Kim Sang-sik and his students won all 3 matches against Thailand at the ASEAN Cup. This achievement helped him surpass coaches who had left their mark in the confrontations with the Golden Temple country team.
Previously, coach Alfred Riedl and the Vietnamese national team defeated Thailand 3-0 in the 1998 Tiger Cup semi-finals. Coach Henrique Calisto helped the Vietnamese national team defeat the opponent 2-1 in the first leg of the 2008 AFF Cup final, while coach Park Hang-seo had a victory over Thailand at the 2019 King's Cup.
A noteworthy point in coach Kim Sang-sik's achievements is that all 3 victories against Thailand took place in the ASEAN Cup finals. In which, the Vietnamese team won 2 times right at Rajamangala Stadium.
At the ASEAN Cup 2024 final, the Vietnamese team defeated Thailand 2-1 in the first leg at Viet Tri Stadium, before continuing to overcome the opponent 3-2 at Rajamangala. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik's team win the championship with a total score of 5-3.
In this year's tournament, the Vietnamese team continues to create a great advantage in Thailand when winning 2-0 in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final. Two goals from Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai helped coach Kim Sang-sik's team get closer to the goal of defending the championship.
However, the two-goal advantage does not guarantee a definite championship for the Vietnamese team. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team still has to play focused in the second leg final at 8:00 PM on August 26th at My Dinh Stadium.
If he preserves his advantage, coach Kim Sang-sik will have another memorable milestone in leading the Vietnamese team, and at the same time help the team continue to affirm its position in Southeast Asia.
