After a 4-1 victory over U22 Laos in the opening match, coach Nafuzi Zain let the Malaysian players mainly practice recovery at the swimming pool and gym. Meanwhile, the appearance of Ubaid Salah Shamsul - a mainstay who has repeatedly played for the national team - is considered a big boost in spirit. The 22-year-old defender just played for Terengganu FC in the draw with Kuching City on December 5, before being allowed by the club to participate in the SEA Games due to not having a match schedule until December 19.
Despite the absence of two important strikers Ferguson Tierney (Sabah FC) and Aliff Izwan (Selangor FC) due to being busy playing at club, U22 Malaysia is still considered a very unpredictable opponent. According to Malaysian media, the duo can only participate if Malaysia advances to the semi-finals or wins medals.
In the win over Laos U22, coach Nafuzi Zain arranged a defense of 3 central defenders including Aiman Hakimi, Aysar Hadi and Moses Raj. Despite conceding early, the yellow team has turned the situation around thanks to their strong and effective fighting ability in set pieces. The return of Ubaidullah Shamsul will help Malaysia have more options to strengthen their defense, especially when they only need a draw to keep the top spot in Group B thanks to a better goal difference (+3 compared to+1 in Vietnam).
On the side of U22 Vietnam, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team aim to win all 3 points to decide the ticket to the semi-finals. However, the team still has many points to improve after the 2-1 victory over U22 Laos on December 3, especially the ability to take advantage of opportunities. In the context of Malaysia's ability to play defensive counter-attacks, the accuracy of the shots will determine the ability of U22 Vietnam to win.
