Coach Kim Sang Sik regrets as Vietnamese overseas star leaves Vietnam National Team

Coach Kim Sang Sik confirmed that Ngo Dang Khoa cannot accompany the Vietnam National Team to South Korea for training and the AFF Cup 2026 because of an injury, and he also shared his disappointment regarding this promising youngster.

Coach Kim Sang Sik has officially finalized the Vietnam national squad heading to South Korea for a training camp to prepare for the campaign to defend the AFF Cup 2026 title. Among the initial 28 players called up, Ngo Dang Khoa was the only one forced to withdraw due to injury. The absence of the young defender from CLB Cong An TP.HCM left the South Korean coach unable to hide his regret, as he considers this player one of the most promising faces in Vietnamese football.

Sharing his thoughts before the team's departure, Coach Kim Sang Sik stated: "Khoa had to return to his club a few days ago. He is a very talented young player, but unfortunately he could not prepare for this tournament with us, so I feel quite sorry." Missing this important training camp means that Ngo Dang Khoa also loses the chance to compete for a spot in the AFF Cup 2026 squad. This is seen as a great pity for the player born in 2005, who had been receiving high expectations after his positive performances at the club level.

Apart from Ngo Dang Khoa's case, the Vietnam National Team still has several players who have not yet reached optimal physical condition. Captain Duy Manh has been unable to rejoin full team training since the gathering day, while Van Khang and Ngoc Bao are training separately under medical supervision. Nevertheless, Coach Kim Sang Sik decided to keep all three names on the roster for the trip to South Korea, demonstrating his confidence in their recovery before the tournament begins.

Explaining his decision, the South Korean strategist emphasized: "Some are in the recovery phase from injuries, but their condition is progressing very well. If our coaching staff manages and cares for them properly, I think they will return soon. Even though there are injured players, the other members are currently preparing very well. If we manage physical fitness well, along with tactical and psychological factors when we go to South Korea, I expect the team to compete at the highest level in this tournament." With this decision, the Vietnam National Team will go to South Korea with 27 players, instead of calling up replacements.

This training camp also marks an opportunity for many young faces such as Quang Kiet, Ngoc My, Viet Cuong, and Nhat Minh. These are all players that Coach Kim Sang Sik has observed over a long period and identified significant improvement. He shared: "Over the past time, I have watched them a lot and saw that they are in good form. I wanted to call them up to the national team to personally test them. If they continue to improve, I believe they can perform well at the national team level." The bold move to give opportunities to new faces also reflects a strategy of youth development alongside the goal of defending the regional championship.

According to the plan, on July 2nd, the Vietnam National Team will depart for South Korea and have 12 days of training with three friendly matches against K.League representatives. This is an important phase for the coaching staff to refine the playing style, review the squad, and assess each player's form before finalizing the final roster. After returning home, Coach Kim Sang Sik's team will play a friendly against Myanmar on July 18th at Thai Nguyen Stadium, before officially entering the AFF Cup 2026 with an away match against Timor Leste on July 24th, aiming to successfully defend the championship.