Việt Nam national team & U23 team head coach Kim Sang-sik, enamored with the love of fans during his team's return after an overachieving U23 Asian Cup campaign. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Anh Đức

It was two years ago that questions began swirling about who Kim Sang-sik was when he was appointed head coach of the Việt Nam national team after the disappointing tenure of the ‘White Wizard’ Philippe Troussier.

I wrote then that Kim needed no fancy nickname nor polished profile to win over Vietnamese fans. He simply had to do what he had always done best as a player: act decisively.

The former defensive midfielder arrived in Việt Nam with a far more modest résumé compared with Troussier. While the Frenchman was renowned for leading Japan and several African nations to World Cups, Kim was known largely in the local press as 'a student of Park Hang-seo.'

Kim’s first outing with Việt Nam was turbulent. Against the Philippines, a team Việt Nam had beaten 2-0 away, the hosts were pushed to an emotional edge before sealing a dramatic 3-2 victory in the final moments.

That match revealed the defining traits of a Kim-led side: imperfect at times, occasionally falling behind but never surrendering and always fighting to the end. Those qualities would later surface in his most decisive games.

Expectations were low heading into the 2024 ASEAN Cup. Việt Nam’s performances in the opening three matches were unconvincing, marked by late celebrations rather than dominance.

Everything shifted with the arrival of Nguyễn Xuân Son against Myanmar. The striker scored seven goals in four matches, powering Việt Nam into the final’s second leg. Yet Son’s brilliance appeared to eclipse Kim’s influence, with many fans believing the forward had carried the team and that any coach would have succeeded with such firepower.

But a manager’s true measure lies not only in tactics but in leadership under pressure. Son’s early injury in the second leg against Thailand posed a severe test. It also gave Kim his defining moment. His decision to start Phạm Tuấn Hải as centre-forward and introduce Nguyễn Hai Long proved decisive, as both scored in an emotional 3-2 comeback win in Bangkok that secured Việt Nam’s third ASEAN title.

Following the championship, Việt Nam entered the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with renewed optimism. That momentum stalled against Malaysia, a sobering defeat despite the controversies that followed. Kim then turned his focus to the U23s with a different mindset. Việt Nam conceded just twice at the 2025 AFF U23 Championship to complete a historic three-peat.

Success continued at the SEA Games, held in Thailand. While the VFF had set a podium finish as the target, Kim’s team surpassed expectations by claiming gold, winning all four matches from the group stage to the final. Attention grew around Kim’s substitutions, including Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn and Lê Văn Thuận, impact players who repeatedly changed matches from the bench. Another stunning 3-2 victory over Thailand further underlined his influence.

Kim’s final examination of the season came at continental level. Once again, his side exceeded expectations, securing a bronze medal with a modern and convincing style of play that offered genuine hope for the future.

Appointed amid comparisons with his mentor Park Hang-seo, Kim has since carved out his own identity. Now dubbed the ‘Dark Wizard’ by fans, he may prove to be the VFF’s greatest gamble and greatest fortune — a coach with a genuine Midas touch. VNS