Vietnam National Team Faces Major Challenge Ahead of FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026: Only Two Training Sessions Together

With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam National Team will enter the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign as the defending champions. However, Coach Kim Sang Sik's quest to retain the crown is facing a massive challenge even before the tournament kicks off: near-zero preparation time. According to the plan, the squad list is expected to be announced right after the second round of the 2026/27 LPBank V-League concludes. The reunion date is set for September 21, and the entire team will depart for Indonesia on September 23. The opening match against the Philippines is on September 26. This means that before the first game, the team will have only two official training sessions together on foreign soil. “This is a huge tactical and physical challenge. Two sessions are far too little to implement a new system or ensure perfect coordination between the lines. Clearly, the coaching staff is placing a massive bet on squad stability – a group that recently won the title together,” an analyst commented. Coach Kim is reportedly relying heavily on the core that brought success. Squad continuity is seen as the optimal approach to compensate for the minimal time. However, two key personnel issues are troubling the coaching staff: the absence of midfielder Van Vi due to injury, and the fitness status of star Nguyen Hoang Duc remains unclear. Hoang Duc’s return is highly anticipated, but whether his condition is match-ready from the start remains a question mark. Vietnam is placed in Group B, alongside Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. The match against Thailand – the arch-rival of Southeast Asian football – is considered the highlight of the group. This