Coach Kim Sang-sik dropped during U23 celebration

Coach Kim Sang-sik fell to the ground while celebrating with the Vietnamese players after their victory against Thailand in the 2025 AFF U23 Championship final.

However, the players lost their grip, causing the South Korean coach to fall hard onto the pitch. Coach Kim got up, clutching his back in apparent pain.

Shortly after the final whistle blew at Bung Karno Stadium, the Vietnamese players hoisted coach Kim Sang-sik into the air.

This was the second time in 2025 that coach Kim experienced such a celebratory moment with Vietnamese football. The first occurred in January after he led the national team to victory in the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

In added time, with Vietnam desperately defending their lead, coach Kim attempted to obstruct an Indonesian throw-in and received a yellow card. He then unexpectedly bowed three times to the referee.

Forward Dinh Bac intervened to protect Anh Quan, but the Indonesian players surrounded him, pulling his shirt and grabbing his neck, leaving scratches on the Vietnamese forward's neck.

Coach Kim was a prominent figure throughout the match.

When players from both teams clashed on the sideline during the second half, the South Korean coach rushed to the Indonesian technical area to defend his players.

Kim's players faced a tough challenge against the hosts' aggressive and physical style of play.

In the 11th minute, Indonesia's captain Hanan initiated the hosts' rough play by stepping on Khuat Van Khang's heel. The Vietnamese midfielder fell to the ground clutching his leg in pain. The referee initially didn't issue a card, but after reviewing VAR, gave the Indonesian captain a yellow card.

In the 15th minute, following Cong Phuong's run down the right wing, Indonesia's captain Arel (number 4) pulled the Vietnamese forward's shirt to prevent a counter-attack, earning him a yellow card.

In the 35th minute, center-back Pham Ly Duc committed a foul on an Indonesian player, resulting in a yellow card. However, the Indonesian players surrounded the referee, demanding a red card, alleging an elbow, but VAR did not intervene.

Later, in the 54th minute, defender Anh Quan (number 20) received a yellow card for a foul from behind on Indonesia's Missa.

Despite the pressure from Indonesia, Vietnam played well and secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Cong Phuong (number 18).

In the 2023 tournament, Vietnam also defeated Indonesia in the final, winning 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 draw after extra time.

Vietnam became the first team to win three consecutive AFF U23 Championship titles, following their victories in 2022 and 2023. Thailand won the inaugural tournament in 2005, and Indonesia won in 2019.

Forward Nguyen Quoc Viet (number 9) was part of all three winning squads. Nguyen Van Truong (number 8), Khuat Van Khang, Tran Trung Kien, and Nguyen Phi Hoang have each won the tournament twice.

The Vietnamese players lifted the trophy in the cauldron of Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia's largest stadium with a capacity of around 77,000.

This was also the first time a Vietnamese men's national team celebrated a victory in Indonesia.

Coach Kim (left) posed for a photo with Nguyen Dinh Bac, the tournament's most valuable player.

The 48-year-old coach became the first to win two Southeast Asian titles at two different national team levels in the same year. This was also his fourth official tournament since arriving in Vietnam, following the second round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers - Asian zone, the 2024 ASEAN Cup, and the final round of 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.