The Vietnamese team entered the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Kuala Lumpur. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik and his team gain an advantage in the race to win a ticket to the final, but the two-goal gap was not enough for the match at My Dinh Stadium to become a formality.
Malaysia is in a difficult position after the defeat at home, especially when the attack cannot take advantage of the opportunities created. However, coach Tan Cheng Hoe's team still has 90 minutes to change the situation.
The personnel problem is also a worrying issue for Malaysia. Alif Haiiqal, Fazul Amir, Endrick and Rodney Celvin all have physical problems. Among them, Rodney had to leave the field from the 16th minute in the first leg. Wan Kuzain also could not participate due to returning to the US to join the club.
However, the performance in Kuala Lumpur showed that Malaysia is not an easy opponent to subdue. That is also the reason why coach Kim Sang-sik needs to ask his players to maintain maximum concentration.
History has shown that the advantage in the first leg does not guarantee a place in the final. In the semi-finals of the 2014 AFF Cup, Vietnam defeated Malaysia 2-1 away but then lost 2-4 at My Dinh, thereby being eliminated with a total score of 4-5.
The lesson from the match 12 years ago is still valuable. The Vietnamese team needs to solve each situation, maintain formation distance and avoid letting Malaysia create continuous pressure if they want to preserve their advantage and advance to the ASEAN Cup 2026 final.
ASEAN Cup 2026 schedule today (August 19):
8:00 PM: Vietnam vs Malaysia
