South Korean goalkeeping legend Lee Woon-jae set to join Vietnam’s coaching staff for 2024 AFF Cup

"Coach Kim introduced me when the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) was looking for a dedicated goalkeeper coach," Lee shared with South Korea’s Sisa Journal. "He called it a great opportunity, and I accepted."

While negotiations are still underway, the VFF has not yet made an official statement. If the deal is finalized, Lee, born in 1973, will join the team when training begins in South Korea on Nov. 23.

Lee expressed his commitment to the role, stating, "I will share all my knowledge with the Vietnamese players to help them achieve success at the AFF Cup in December."

Coach Kim Sang-sik (L) and goalkeeping coach Lee Woon-jae work together at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Photo by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC

Lee is a celebrated figure in South Korean football, having represented his country in the 1994, 2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cups and achieving 133 caps, which earned him a spot in FIFA’s esteemed "Century Club" for players with over 100 national appearances. His career highlights include helping South Korea reach fourth place in the 2002 World Cup and securing third place at the 2000 and 2007 Asian Cups.

Lee and Coach Kim were teammates on South Korea’s national team from 2000 to 2007. Both faced a one-year suspension following a 2007 alcohol incident in Indonesia with teammates Woo Sung-yong and Lee Dong-gook.

At the club level, Lee was a star for Suwon Samsung Bluewings (1996-2010) and Jeonnam Dragons (2011-2012), with a total of 451 appearances. His achievements include an AFC Champions League title, four K-League championships, and three Korean FA Cup titles.

Since retiring in 2012, Lee has gained substantial coaching experience, having served as a goalkeeper coach for South Korea’s U23 team (2013-2015), the national team (2016), Suwon (2017-2018), China’s U23 team (2018-2020), and most recently at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2020-2023) under coach Kim.

In Vietnam, prior goalkeeper coaches were seen as lacking in adequately training top talents like Dang Van Lam and Filip Nguyen. The national team previously had a South Korean goalkeeper coach, Kim Hyun-tae, who worked under Coach Park Hang-seo from 2020 to 2021.

The Vietnamese national team will conduct a 10-day training camp in Gyeongju, South Korea, beginning November 23. Their AFF Cup journey will start with a match against Laos on December 9, followed by games with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Coach Kim's aim is to lead Vietnam to the finals.