Following the success of winning the U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025 and securing a SEA Games 33 gold medal, coach Kim led Vietnam to a bronze medal at the U23 Asian Championship in Saudi Arabia. Despite low expectations and being placed in a challenging group, coach Kim and his team surprised many by winning all their matches: defeating Jordan 2-0, Kyrgyzstan 2-1, and Saudi Arabia 1-0.

Advancing to the quarter-finals, Vietnam further impressed by beating UAE 3-2 in extra time. However, their journey was halted by a 0-3 loss to China in the semi-finals. In the third-place play-off, despite being considered underdogs and playing with one less player from the end of the second half, coach Kim Sang-sik's team drew 2-2 with South Korea over 120 minutes before winning 7-6 in the penalty shootout.

Coach Kim Sang-sik celebrates after Vietnam defeated UAE 3-2 in the U23 Asian Championship 2026 quarter-finals, at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 16/1. *AFC*

After more than one year as head coach, Kim Sang-sik has guided the U23 Vietnam team to achieve a 15-match winning streak, securing one title and two medals across three consecutive tournaments. He also helped Vietnam defeat formidable opponents like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and South Korea at the U23 level for the first time.

Hieu Luong