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Coach Kim Sang-sik was pleased but also expressed some regret at not being able to use some of the younger players during Việt Nam's 5-0 win over Laos in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round Group F tie on March 25 in Bình Dương Province.
Football
Vietnamese players and coaches pay tribute to supporters after their 5-0 win over Laos in the Asian Cup qualification match on March 25. — Photos of VFF
BÌNH DƯƠNG — Coach Kim Sang-sik was pleased with Việt Nam's 5-0 win over Laos in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round Group F tie on March 25 in Bình Dương Province.
Nguyễn Văn Vĩ scored a double, which was sandwiched by the opener of Châu Ngọc Quang and goals by Nguyễn Hai Long and Nguyễn Quang Hải in the second half.
Speaking in the post-match briefing Kim said it was a good game for the hosts and a good win for the team's loyal supporters.
He said the only thing that he was sorry about was that he could not give more opportunity to try out all of his younger players.
Nguyễn Văn Vĩ was a hero of the match with two goals.
Among his new men, only midfielder Võ Hoàng Minh Khoa was put on the field, with his performance singled out for praise by Kim.
“He showed good ability, moving with skill and took to the team's tactics well. I believe that he will do it better in the next matches," said Kim.
Scoring two goals defender Vĩ was voted MVP of the match and said he was happy both with his performance and the team's good start at the continental event.
He hoped Việt Nam would maintain that high during the upcoming games.
For the visiting side, despite some good preparations, the team lacked any magic, with coach Ha Hyeok-jun admitting there was a big skills gap between the two teams.
The South Korean manager said their loss was not a surprise because Việt Nam were a strong team, which were well organised and carried out their plan smoothly.
“Since starting the job in Laos I have recognised the gap between Laos and leading teams such as Việt Nam and Thailand and I have tried my best to narrow that gap," Ha said.
Ha said he would be prioritising the use of younger players, with an eye on better results at the upcoming SEA Games, so it was easy to understand his players' lack of experience and poor performance at the Gò Đậu Stadium.
"I had not enough time for Asian Cup 2027, but have plenty for the SEA Games," he added.
In the other match of Group F, Malaysia started a new era under head coach Peter Cklamovski with a 2-0 win against Nepal in Johor Bahru.
After the first round, Việt Nam topped the rankings and will play second-placed Malaysia on June 10 away.
Meanwhile bottom-placed Laos will host Nepal, in third position, in Vientiane. — VNS
