Vietnam broke a 16-year away hoodoo against Malaysia with a 2-0 win that leaves Kim Sang Sik’s side within touching distance of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final.
Vietnam have taken a commanding step toward the ASEAN Cup 2026 final after a hard-fought 2-0 victory away to Malaysia, a result Indonesian media described as leaving the defending champions with the door wide open to another title decider.
“Malaysia were the home team, but it was Vietnam who claimed a 2-0 victory, giving them a huge advantage and opening the door wide to the ASEAN Cup 2026 final,” Indonesian newspaper Kompas commented.
Before thinking about the title match, however, Vietnam must finish the job when they host Malaysia in the second leg of the semi-final at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday, August 19.
Vietnam take a commanding advantage into the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final second leg.
The scoreline in Kuala Lumpur suggested a comfortable victory, but the match itself was anything but easy. Played on a slippery surface after rain, Vietnam began cautiously while Malaysia made greater use of their home advantage and created the more dangerous chances early on.
Malaysia pushed forward through their pace on the flanks. Faris Danish had an effort blocked by Vietnam’s defense, while Pavithran Gunalan tested goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang with a powerful left-footed strike from distance.
The hosts came even closer in the 35th minute. Le Giang intervened against a dangerous low ball from the left, but the rebound fell to Dyryl Sham, who fired over with the goal virtually unguarded.
Vietnam gradually found their footing, although Kim Sang Sik’s midfield struggled to impose itself for much of the first half. The visitors had to remain patient, and that patience finally paid off deep into stoppage time.
In the 45th minute plus five, a long pass released Truong Tien Anh down the right. His cross took goalkeeper Bin Ab Ghani out of the play, allowing Nguyen Xuan Son to launch himself at the ball and power a header into the net. VAR confirmed the goal, sending Vietnam into the break 1-0 ahead.
For Malaysia, it was a painful blow after a first half in which they had largely competed well and created opportunities of their own.
Xuan Son later acknowledged how demanding the contest had been, saying the poor pitch made the opening stages particularly difficult as he adjusted to both the surface and the flow of the game. As a center forward, he said, the key was to remain patient and wait for his moment.
That moment came with Tien Anh’s cross. Xuan Son, whose strength inside the penalty area is one of his defining qualities, made no mistake.
The second half brought even greater pressure from Malaysia and the most controversial moment of the night.
In the 61st minute, Le Giang rushed outside his penalty area as Mohamadou Sumareh went down following a challenge. Uzbek referee Rustam Lutfullin initially showed the Vietnam goalkeeper a straight red card.
After reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor, however, the referee determined that Le Giang had not made the infringement initially suspected and rescinded the red card. Vietnam remained with 11 players.
Kompas described VAR as a turning point in the match.
With the danger behind them, Vietnam regained their composure. Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Do Hoang Hen and Pham Xuan Manh were among those presented with opportunities as the visitors began putting Malaysia under renewed pressure.
Kim Sang Sik then introduced captain Nguyen Quang Hai in the 81st minute, a change that would prove influential.
Five minutes later, Vietnam struck again. After Hoang Hen advanced down the right, the ball reached Quang Hai, who played it toward Nguyen Dinh Bac. Faris Danish attempted to intervene but sent the ball into his own net, leaving the Malaysian goalkeeper helpless and sealing Vietnam’s 2-0 victory.
The win carried significance beyond the two-goal advantage.
It was Vietnam’s first ASEAN Cup victory over Malaysia while wearing their away colors, ending a 16-year hoodoo that stretched back to the painful 2010 AFF Cup semi-final.
That year, Vietnam traveled to Malaysia for the first leg and lost 2-0. A goalless draw at home then ended their hopes of reaching the final.
Sixteen years later, the scoreline has been reversed, and Vietnam are now the side taking a two-goal cushion home.
The victory also extended Vietnam’s unbeaten run under Kim Sang Sik to 23 matches, comprising 20 wins and three draws. The sequence began with a 1-1 draw against India in October 2024 and has continued through the ASEAN Cup 2024 title campaign, the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, official FIFA-window friendlies and the current ASEAN Cup.
Vietnam’s performance in Kuala Lumpur was nevertheless far from flawless.
Malaysia, despite entering the match with personnel difficulties and fielding a relatively inexperienced defense, caused the visitors considerable problems. Vietnam struggled to control midfield for extended periods and their back line was repeatedly tested.
Kim himself acknowledged those shortcomings after the match.
“Although we won 2-0, overall it was a difficult game,” he said. “Vietnam had some problems implementing our tactics. We will analyze the match carefully as we prepare for the upcoming home game.”
The South Korean coach insisted his team were only halfway through the tie and needed to recover quickly while addressing tactical weaknesses before the return leg.
Xuan Son scores Vietnam’s opening goal against Malaysia.
Dinh Bac echoed that caution. The forward said Vietnam could not afford complacency despite returning home with a two-goal advantage, particularly with Malaysia having little left to lose.
Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe was equally adamant that the semi-final remained alive.
“We still have 90 minutes ahead of us. We have not lost this battle; we have only lost one match,” Tan said.
The Malaysian coach acknowledged that playing in Hanoi would be difficult, particularly with Vietnam backed by a large home crowd, but urged his players to embrace the occasion and try to score early enough to restore confidence.
Malaysia could also face another personnel concern, with defender Rodney Celvin unlikely to recover in time after being forced off injured during the first leg.
Vietnam, meanwhile, returned home on August 17 to begin preparations for the decisive second leg. The Vietnam Football Federation awarded the team VND1.5 billion (about $57,000) following the victory, bringing their tournament bonuses so far to VND3.5 billion (about $133,000).
The reward reflects the scale of the opportunity now in front of Kim and his players. Vietnam are the defending champions, unbeaten in 23 matches under their head coach and two goals ahead with the second leg to come at home.
Yet the message from inside the squad remains deliberately measured. Xuan Son called the victory the result of a demanding physical battle, Dinh Bac warned against complacency, and Kim refused to speak as though a place in the final had already been secured.
From Indonesia, however, the view is clearer: Vietnam have opened the door to the ASEAN Cup 2026 final very wide.
The task at My Dinh on August 19 is to make sure Malaysia cannot close it again.
Vietnamnet.vn
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