The 2-0 victory over Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium on the evening of August 22 helped the Vietnamese team create a significant advantage before the second leg final at My Dinh Stadium on August 26.
In this match, the tactical imprint of coach Kim Sang-sik was clearly shown in the ability to adjust personnel in the second half. In the 58th minute, he successively brought Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai on to replace Nguyen Xuan Son and Le Pham Thanh Long.
Just 4 minutes after appearing, Hai Long scored the opening goal for the Vietnamese team. In the 69th minute, Quang Hai continued to score, increasing the score to 2-0. Two players brought on in the second half both directly scored, helping the Vietnamese team create a safe gap away from home.
Not only bringing a score advantage, the victory at Rajamangala also helped the Vietnamese team receive an additional bonus of 2.5 billion VND from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
Before the first leg final, the Vietnamese team received 5.3 billion VND in bonuses from VFF, including 2.3 billion VND after the group stage and 3 billion VND after the semi-finals. In addition, the team also received 500 million VND from sponsor Acecook Vietnam.
Thus, the total bonus amount the Vietnamese team has received up to the present time is 8.3 billion VND.
This bonus does not include bonuses from AFF for overall achievements at ASEAN Cup 2026. According to the prize structure, the champion team will receive 300,000 USD, equivalent to about 7.8 billion VND. The runner-up team will receive 100,000 USD, equivalent to about 2.6 billion VND.
With a 2-0 lead after the first leg, the Vietnamese team is facing a great opportunity to complete the goal of defending the ASEAN Cup championship. The second leg final between Vietnam and Thailand will take place on August 26th at My Dinh Stadium.
