In theory, the Vietnamese team is rated higher than Malaysia before the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final. However, football always hides surprises and coach Kim Sang-sik and his team cannot be subjective.
In the past 12 years, Malaysia has never defeated the Vietnamese team in official international tournaments. The last time Malaysia won against the Vietnamese team was in the semi-finals of the 2014 ASEAN Cup. This series of results shows a significant difference between the two teams in recent years.
The quality of Malaysian football has also declined quite a lot compared to the time they won the 2010 ASEAN Cup. The training of young players has not met the requirements, causing this team to rely heavily on the group of naturalized players to improve competitiveness.
The naturalized players of Malaysia are mostly quite old when they are eligible to wear the national team jersey. Besides, the quality of some players has not really created a difference, making Malaysia unable to build a stable and balanced team.
The only time Malaysia played better than the Vietnamese team in the past 12 years was the match in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers in June 2025.
However, that victory later became a big problem for Malaysian football. Harimau Malaya used 7 naturalized players with invalid records. These seven players were then suspended from playing by FIFA, and Malaysia was ruled to lose to Vietnam.
The incident affected the reputation of Malaysian football, and at the same time created significant spiritual impacts on this team.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese football maintains youth training for a long time. The difference in development orientation helps the Vietnamese national team have a source of quality players and a better squad depth.
As a result, the semi-final match between Vietnam and Malaysia has a certain difference in force balance. The important thing is that Vietnam must show their true ability.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's team once encountered difficulties against Singapore in the group stage when using too many long balls and not maximizing the technical ability of the midfield.
If they continue to choose this playing style, the Vietnamese team can limit their own strength. The ball control ability and short coordination of the midfield are one of the strengths that need to be promoted when facing Malaysia.
Besides, the Vietnamese team should not be too dependent on naturalized players in attack. The strength of the team lies in the ability to coordinate collectively and the uniformity between the lines.
If coach Kim Sang-sik's team maintains their forte style, controls the ball well and organizes short ball combinations, Malaysia will have many difficulties in resisting. The Vietnamese team has a basis to aim for a favorable result in the first leg.
The first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final between Vietnam and Malaysia will take place at 8:00 PM today (August 16), at Kuala Lumpur Stadium.
Expected lineup
Vietnam National Team: Le Giang Patrik; Tien Anh, Thanh Chung, Viet Anh, Xuan Manh, Van Vi; Hoang Duc, Thanh Long; Dinh Bac, Tai Loc, Xuan Son.
Azri Ghani; Ruventhiran, Shamsul Fazili, Rodney Celvin, Ibrahim Manusi; Daryl Sham, Aliff Haiqal, Sergio Aguero; Syafid Ahmad, Sumareh, Paulo Josue.
