On the afternoon of June 9, the second leg of the play-off round between Timor-Leste and Brunei took place on a neutral field in Malaysia. Despite conceding a goal to the opponent first, Timor-Leste still showed superior bravery to come back and win 3-1.
In this match, Brunei unexpectedly scored the opening goal in the 43rd minute by Azwan Ali Rahman, after Timor-Leste started somewhat subjectively. However, in the second half, the higher-rated team adjusted their tactics reasonably, increased pressure and completely controlled the game.
Goals from Zenivio Cruz, Claudio Gomes and Oatnasio da Silva helped Timor-Leste complete a comeback, and also closed the overall victory 6-1 after two legs, officially winning a ticket to participate in ASEAN Cup 2026.
According to the group stage results, Timor-Leste is in Group A and will be one of the four opponents of the Vietnamese team. Notably, this is also the opponent of coach Kim Sang-sik's team in the opening match, expected to take place on July 24.
However, according to the initial plan, the match is likely to be held on a neutral stadium in Malaysia, because Timor-Leste does not have an international standard stadium.
Fully identifying opponents in the group helps the Vietnamese team soon complete the preparation plan for the championship defense campaign. In the coming time, coach Kim Sang-sik and the coaching staff will continue to review the force and develop appropriate tactical plans for each group stage match.
