The Malaysian team entered the rematch with many significant changes in force compared to the previous match.
In the list of 28 players called up by coach Peter Cklamovski, there are only 12 faces who participated in the first leg in mid-2025.
The key group still includes familiar names such as Matthew Davies, Dion Cools, Corbin Ong or Nooa Laine, while the reserve options include Endrick Dos Santos, Paulo Josue or Faisal Halim.
It is noteworthy that Malaysia no longer has 7 naturalized players who played in the previous match due to regulations violations. This absence forced Mr. Peter Cklamovski to adjust the squad and give opportunities to other players. They are players who were familiar in the ASEAN Cup (AFF Cup) such as Safawi Rashid, Dominic Tan or Luqman Hakim.
Some names that were once expected such as Arif Aiman or Romen Morales also did not appear on the list to come to Vietnam. These changes have caused the Malaysian force to lose some depth and stability compared to before.
In contrast to Malaysia, the Vietnamese team maintains a familiar squad with 11 players who participated in the first leg. Among these, many key players continue to play important roles such as Nguyen Filip, Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Hai Long, Nguyen Quang Hai or Pham Tuan Hai.
Compared to the previous confrontation, Vietnam's force has a significant addition. The return of Nguyen Xuan Son after injury and naturalized newcomer Do Hoang Hen help the attack have more options.
In the lower line, names like Doan Van Hau, Tran Dinh Trong also increased the depth of the squad. The coaching staff also gave opportunities to some new factors such as Nguyen Nhat Minh, Le Ngoc Bao, Pham Gia Hung, Khuat Van Khang.
However, coach Kim Sang-sik does not think that is an advantage of the Vietnamese team. In the pre-match press conference, he said: "Every team wants to win when they play. If the Malaysian team no longer has 7 naturalized players, we will also be without Dinh Bac. Every team has difficulties and advantages".
The match between Vietnam and Malaysia will take place at 7:00 PM on March 31st at Thien Truong Stadium.
