2024 AFF Cup Vietnam vs Indonesia: Missing the Revenge of Shin Tae-yong and Kim Sang-sik's Relationship

The match between Vietnam and the Indonesia National Team will be a reunion of coaches Kim Sang-sik and Shin Tae-yong. These two South Korean tacticians will face off on Sunday (December 15, 2024) at the Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho for the 2024 AFF Cup Group B qualifiers. This match is expected to be exciting and intense, and it will also feature two individuals who have had successful stints with the Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma club and the South Korean national team.



The more experienced Shin Tae-yong initially defended the club, now renamed Seongnam FC, which has strength in K League 2. When Shin Tae-yong was a professional footballer, he played for Seongnam from 1992 to 2004, serving as a midfielder.

On the other hand, Kim Sang-sik, who played as a defender and defensive midfielder, had a departure record with the "Magpies" between the 1999-2003 and 2005-2008 seasons. Although both have won various trophies with Seongnam, including 2 K League 1 titles, 1 Korea FA Cup, 1 Korea League Cup, and 1 Korea Super Cup, Shin Tae-yong's name carries more legendary status.



Shin Tae-yong's loyalty and achievements earned him the trust to serve as Seongnam's advisory board chairman. In 2014, he started working for the South Korean national team as an assistant coach under Uli Stielike. Under Shin's leadership, South Korea reached the final of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 27 years.

In the same year, Shin also led the South Korean U-23 national team to the 2016 Summer Olympics, where they topped their group with 7 points, ahead of Germany, Mexico, and Fiji. However, their progress was halted in the quarter-finals by Honduras.



In 2016, Shin Tae-yong was commissioned by the Korea Football Association to coach the South Korean U-20 national team in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in South Korea. Although South Korea finished second in the group stage and made it to the quarter-finals, they were defeated by Portugal.

In 2018, Shin Tae-yong replaced Stielike, who had performed poorly in the World Cup qualifiers, and successfully led South Korea to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In their first match, South Korea shocked the world with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Germany. Unfortunately, in the following two matches, South Korea lost 1-0 to Sweden and 2-1 to Mexico.



There is a story that may have caused a rift in their relationship. This happened during the 2009 K League season when Shin Tae-yong was promoted from assistant coach to head coach.
Due to Seongnam's poor financial situation, Kim Sang-sik chose to transfer to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, where he became the captain.



Ultimately, at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Kim Sang-sik became a legendary figure both as a player and a coach. However, Shin Tae-yong's loyalty and hard work led Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma to win the AFC Champions League in 2010. This achievement left a golden mark on Shin's career, making him the first South Korean coach to lead the club to the AFC Champions League and become an Asian champion.