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Vietnam head coach Kim Sang-sik at a press conference at the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) headquarters in Hanoi on Aug. 6, 2026, before the match against Cambodia at the ASEAN Cup. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
Following Vietnam’s 3-0 victory over Indonesia in Group A at Pakansari Stadium on Monday, Hubner made several comments on the win, calling it a non-official FIFA match.
The Dutch-born defender, who plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands, argued that Indonesia did not have 15 key European-based players who were not released by their clubs because the ASEAN Cup falls outside FIFA international windows, including him.
“In a non-official FIFA tournament. Well done. We will get you again in official games. Congrats,” the 22-year-old commented.
When Vietnam midfielder Nguyen Hai Long, who scored and assisted in the Indonesia victory, posted “Who is the king of Southeast Asia?”, Hubner pointed back to Indonesia’s 1-0 and 3-0 victories over Vietnam at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in 2024.
“They forgot what we did with them in the World Cup qualifiers,” Hubner wrote.
At a press conference ahead of Vietnam’s final group match against Cambodia, coach Kim addressed the controversy directly.
“The media, fans, or anyone can express such opinions,” Kim said. “Vietnam always value every tournament and strive for the best possible results. We prepare step-by-step to help Vietnamese players develop further and look toward the future.”
Long said at the same conference: “Every game for the national team is important. I will give my all and dedicate myself whenever I’m given the opportunity.”
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A screenshot of Justin Hubner’s Instagram story, one day after Vietnam beat Indonesia 3-0 at the ASEAN Cup on Aug. 3, 2026. |
Hubner’s comments sparked debate across Southeast Asian football circles. Several Vietnam players responded online, with naturalized midfielder Do Hoang Hen describing them as “immature” and saying the defender “talks too much.”
Vietnam currently lead Group A with seven points, tied with Singapore on points but holding a superior goal difference (+10 to +3).
In their final group fixture on Friday, Vietnam can secure top spot with a win against already-eliminated Cambodia, while Singapore face Indonesia.
Coach Kim emphasized that Vietnam will field their strongest available lineup against Cambodia to lock down first place, which guarantees hosting the second leg of both the semifinals and finals.
“Despite some tactical changes, we will still field our best players and compete with all we got,” Kim said. “Some players are not in ideal physical condition, but luckily the semifinals are still about a week away.”
Vietnam hold a perfect record against Cambodia, having won all 11 previous encounters between the two nations.
Reflecting on previous matches, Kim noted that his players have been slightly overconfident following a 7-0 thrashing against Timor-Leste, leading to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Singapore.
He assured fans that the team would not make the same mistake against Cambodia after their impressive win over Indonesia. The South Korean coach also joked that the draw against Singapore had nothing to do with the players but with him wearing a white shirt instead of his lucky black one.
Kim concluded that Vietnam could not convert scoring chances against Singapore, but trained well to beat Indonesia.