Vietnam head coach Kim to scout Indonesia, Philippines ahead of AFF Cup

Kim will first attend the friendly match between Hong Kong and the Philippines on Nov. 14. The following day, he will travel to Indonesia to watch them face Japan on Nov. 15 and Saudi Arabia on Nov. 19 in group C of the 2026 World Cup third qualifying round.

These two teams are opponents of Vietnam in group B of the 2024 AFF Cup, which also includes Laos and Myanmar.

Coach Kim's presence at these matches will allow him to get a more detailed analysis on the opponents, besides the footage of their recent games.

When asked about Kim’s scouting plans, Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong acknowledged it as standard practice.

"Coach Kim is doing what is necessary for his team," Shin told Indonesian media. "We need to analyze any opponent."

Vietnam, unlike some of their rivals, will not play any friendlies during FIFA international matchdays in November. The national team are scheduled to gather on Nov. 21, then travel to South Korea for a 10-day training camp, which includes matches against local clubs, before heading to Laos for their AFF Cup opener on Dec. 10. This preparation is similar to the approach used ahead of the successful 2018 AFF Cup campaign of Vietnam under coach Park Hang-seo.

Vietnam are expected to field their strongest squad, while Indonesia and the Philippines will likely be without many of their Europe-based players. Indonesia could miss up to 16 key players from their main roster.

Coach Shin plans to rely on domestic talent and give more opportunities to U22 players. The Philippines will also be missing key players such as defender Paul Tabinas (Vukovar 1991, Croatia), midfielder Sandro Reyes (Gutersloh, Germany), and striker Gerrit Holtmann (VfL Bochum, Germany).

Vietnam have recently beaten the Philippines twice in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers but struggled against Indonesia, losing to them three consecutive times in the 2023 Asian Cup group stage and the second round of World Cup qualifiers.

The 2024 AFF Cup will run from Dec. 8, 2024, to Jan. 5, 2025, featuring 10 teams divided into two groups. Each team will play two home and two away matches to determine the top two teams from each group who will advance to the semi-finals. The semifinals and finals will follow a home-and-away format.

Thailand leads the AFF Cup with seven titles, followed by Singapore with four, Vietnam with two and Malaysia one.