Coach Kim Sang Sik received shocking news before Vietnam's match against Malaysia

With the V-League just resuming, Coach Kim Sang Sik has continuously faced bad news as many key Vietnamese players have either lost form or suffered injuries ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is confronted with a series of unfavorable updates regarding the Vietnam national team’s squad, as the team has yet to gather but the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers are fast approaching. As the 2025/26 V-League season restarts after a break, the developments in domestic matches have caused the Korean coach understandable concern about his upcoming personnel plans.

Round 12 of the V-League saw numerous unfortunate incidents involving national team players. The most notable was the case of Nguyễn Xuân Son in the Nam Định match that ended 2-2 against Đông Á Thanh Hóa on the evening of February 1st. Making his first V-League appearance after nearly a year of recovery, the naturalized striker was given a chance to decide the match with a penalty in stoppage time, but his shot hit the post.

This missed penalty not only caused Nam Định to drop the victory but also marked Xuân Son’s first failure to score since his return to play. Previously, the Brazil-born striker had netted 7 goals against Shan United, Eastern, and Lion City, demonstrating impressive form and high expectations at both club and national levels.

Not stopping there, Nguyễn Tiến Linh – another Vietnamese national team striker – also disappointed by failing to convert a penalty in the Công an TP.HCM versus PVF-CAND match. In the 19th minute, Tiến Linh’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Phí Minh Long, missing the chance to open the scoring for his team.

Coach Kim Sang Sik’s concerns deepened as the issues extended beyond form to injuries. In the Ninh Bình versus CAHN match, both Đoàn Văn Hậu and Nguyễn Thái Sơn had to leave the field due to pain. Văn Hậu, who just returned to play in December 2025 after more than two years of injury treatment, was stretchered off the pitch and the extent of his injury remains unclear.

Having four former Vietnam national team players simultaneously facing problems ranging from missed penalties to injuries is clearly bad news for Coach Kim Sang Sik. With the Vietnam team set to regroup in March 2026 to prepare for the crucial match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, these setbacks may significantly impact personnel plans and the ambitions of the “Golden Star Warriors.”