Coach Kim Sang Sik's Bereavement Leave: A Market Perspective on Silent Risks Before AFF Cup 2026

When the VFF officially announced that head coach Kim Sang Sik was leaving Vietnam to return to South Korea to bid farewell to his father, I read the statement three times. Not because the news was shocking — but because none of the Vietnamese football commentators dared to ask the real question: How much will the Vietnamese national team lose with a week absent from the final pre-tournament training camp? Do not misunderstand. I am not heartless. Losing a father is a sacred loss. At fifty-five years old, I understand that there are moments when football must give way to humanity. But my profession forces me to ask the question no one wants to hear: Where does the market value of a tournament lie, when the very person determining that value is in mourning? Kim Sang Sik arrived in Vietnam in May 2026 with a heavy burden. He took on a dual mandate — leading both the U23 and senior national teams — at a time when Vietnamese fans were expecting a fundamental change after consecutive failures in regional tournaments. Seven months later, he had led the U23 Vietnam team to a continental final, finishing as runners-up — a result many called a miracle. But that miracle was built on tireless training sessions, nights of opponent analysis until 2 AM, and a tactical philosophy that experts call "intelligent pressing combined with rapid state transition." The VFF says he will spend about a week on funeral arrangements, then return. One week. In theory, that is a short period. In reality, with the national team just under three weeks away from their first AFF Cup 2026 match, one week represents nearly one-third of the final preparation time. Let me analyze the specific numbers. Based on data from international tournaments I have followed for thirty-nine years, a national team typically has three to four weeks of direct training before a major tournament. Of those, the final week — the week closest to match day — is usually reserved for refinement: establishing the starting lineup, practicing set pieces, analyzing direct opponents. This is the phase where the head coach's presence or absence creates the biggest difference, because final tactical decisions require a deep understanding of each player — something only the head coach can fully possess. I have no information about who will replace Kim Sang Sik in running training sessions this week. There is no official VFF announcement about temporary delegation structure. This is an information gap that I believe the Vietnamese media should directly question, rather than simply republishing pre-written condolence statements. Now, let us talk about what everyone is avoiding: Thailand. Vietnam is in Group A alongside Thailand, Philippines, and Pakistan. Against Philippines and Pakistan, Vietnam is clearly rated higher — that is not the story. The real story lies in the match against Thailand, where the result will determine group leadership and the path through the knockout stages. Kim Sang Sik has had seven months to study Thailand's play under their new coach. He has built a defensive system targeting the weaknesses of the Land of Smiles — their rapid counter-attack capability when opponents push high. But that plan needs to be communicated to the players in the final week. If this week passes with training sessions merely maintaining fitness rather than refining tactics, the gap between idea and execution will widen. This is the perspective I know will be controversial: I do not believe one week of absence will completely destroy Vietnam's chances. But I believe it creates a small crack in the tactical defensive wall — and in football at this level, sometimes just a crack is enough for the entire structure to collapse. The VFF did the right thing by letting Kim Sang Sik go. No one should be pressured to stay at work when their father has just passed away. But from a market perspective — a perspective I have honed over three decades — this is a measurable risk, and I do not want us to pretend it does not exist. There is a small detail I noticed in the VFF statement: The VFF President personally called Kim Sang Sik, encouraging him to return home for funeral arrangements. This is a humane leadership action, but also a market signal. It shows the VFF values its relationship with the head coach enough to place his personal interests above the tournament schedule. That is good — but it also means any failure at the upcoming AFF Cup must be placed in this context, rather than simply criticized. Kim Sang Sik carries a double burden. He is not just the national team coach — he is a symbol of professionalism in the eyes of Vietnamese fans. Over the past seven months, he has built credibility through absolute dedication. Now, he must balance his obligation to family with his obligation to the team, with no one able to measure it in numbers. I will not call this a disaster. But I will call this a test — not for Kim Sang Sik, but for the entire Vietnamese football system. Do we have the flexibility to adapt when the leader is temporarily absent? Can the assistants maintain the training quality that the head coach has established? And when Kim Sang Sik returns, can he immediately regain momentum, or will he need additional time to re-establish connection with the team? AFF Cup 2026 begins on September 24. Kim Sang Sik is expected to return before then. But in football, "before" and "enough" are two completely different concepts. Follow the national team's training sessions next week. That is where the real answer lies — not in condolence statements, but in how the team moves when the commander is absent. As for me? I will continue to ask questions no one wants to hear, because that is the job of someone who has lived with football too long to believe in obvious things.