![Vietnam U-23 coach Kim Sang Sik celebrates after leading the team to the SEA Games title. [Photo=Reuters/Yonhap]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2025/12/19/20251219083401489827.jpg)
At the biennial multi-sport event featuring 11 Southeast Asian countries, Viet Nam came from behind in a dramatic fashion to beat host Thailand 3-2 in extra time in the final match in Bangkok on Wednesday, reclaiming the victory for the first time since 2021.
The latest triumph comes after Viet Nam won the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup earlier this year and the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship in July, making Kim the country's first coach to achieve the feat of winning all three major tournaments.
Kim, who took the helm of the team in May last year, set a new milestone that his predecessor Park Hang-seo, who was hailed as a football hero during his stint there, did not achieve.
Viet Nam reached the final by beating Laos and Malaysia in the group-stage matches before defeating the Philippines in the semifinals. Thailand advanced with group-stage wins over Singapore and Timor-Leste, followed by a semifinal victory against Malaysia.
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