Motivation from... My Dinh Stadium
In the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals at home, Malaysia lost to Vietnam 0-2. Nguyen Xuan Son's diving header and Faris's own goal helped Vietnam have a great advantage in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium.
To win a ticket to the final, the Malaysian team must win with a 3-goal difference. This is an extremely difficult task for Tan Cheng Hoe's team, because the Vietnamese team has not lost to Malaysia for nearly 12 years.
The last time Harimau Malaya defeated the Vietnamese team was in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2014 semi-finals also at My Dinh Stadium. At that time, the Malaysian team lost 1-2 at home, but won 4-2 in Hanoi, thereby creating a spectacular comeback to enter the final.
We know the current situation, we are 0-2 behind. But we still have 90 minutes to play, and we have the belief and confidence to reverse the situation. In 2014, under the guidance of coach Dollah, Malaysia was behind from the first leg but created a great result when they won 4-2 on the opponent's field.
Although generations of teams have changed over time, that historic turning point has given us more motivation that anything can happen," coach Tan Cheng Hoe shared.
According to this strategist, the results from the past will give him and the players more motivation. He emphasized that playing against the Vietnamese team is always difficult, and the Malaysian team also has no special secrets. However, he believes that when his students seize the right time and opportunity, the Malaysian team can defeat the Vietnamese team.
Vietnam national team needs to be careful
The confidence and "nothing left to lose" situation of the Malaysian team is also a reminder to the Vietnamese team. If playing with a subjective mentality, despising opponents, the team may pay a very heavy price.
Malaysian midfielder Sergio Aguero shared: "The coach of the Vietnamese national team, Kim Sang-sik, is my friend, and he said he was very surprised at how well we played in the first half. Now we have 90 minutes left to fight and I hope we can reverse the situation.
In fact, the Vietnamese team with a significantly superior squad faced many difficulties against the Malaysian team - a team with a piecemeal force, under the guidance of an interim coach in the first leg. The victory in Malaysia is deeply imprinted by star Nguyen Xuan Son and the persistence and certainty of an experienced team. This is what the Vietnamese team needs to promote in the second leg.
Coach Kim Sang-sik himself also respects his opponent very much. He reminded his players to maintain maximum concentration at My Dinh Stadium, improve their playing style. The Vietnamese team has encountered difficulties against Malaysian wingers, often having to resist their fast attacks. This is something that needs to be overcome.
In the last two matches at My Dinh Stadium, the Vietnamese team did not play too impressively. The team drew 0-0 with Singapore and had a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Cambodia. These things show that the Vietnamese team needs to be tỉnh táo, not allowed to be subjective when playing against Malaysia when they have a great advantage.
The second leg semi-final Vietnam vs Malaysia will take place at 8:00 PM on August 19.
