Vietnam defeated Australia 2-1 in a U17 Southeast Asian Championship semi-final match, which many regional newspapers described as an "early final". The match took place at Delta Stadium in Indonesia on the evening of 22/4. Despite conceding an early goal, the Southeast Asian representative responded strongly, staging a comeback with an equalizer from defender Nguyen Manh Cuong and a decisive goal from midfielder Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc.

Australian media reacted with surprise to the result. Football360 Australia used the word "stunned" to describe their team's elimination. "Australia suffered a shock exit from the tournament after a 1-2 loss to Vietnam", the site added. "After Luke Becvinovski's opening goal in the 9th minute, Australia could not maintain their lead against increasing pressure from their opponent".

Winger Le Sy Bach dribbles during the match against Australia in the U17 Southeast Asian Championship 2026 semi-finals, at Delta Stadium in Indonesia on 22/4/2026. Photo: Doan Huynh.

Indonesian media highly praised Vietnam's performance, highlighting a turning point at the end of the first half. CNN Indonesia described Vietnam's equalizer as a result of "continuous pressure", noting that a penalty kick was missed, but Manh Cuong promptly headed in the rebound. In the second half, Cristiano Roland's team continued to control the game and scored the decisive goal from a set-piece combination. Bolasport hailed this as a comeback by "future champions", as Australia was dethroned. The newspaper also commended Vietnam for maintaining an unbeaten record from the group stage, scoring 16 goals and conceding for the first time only in the match against Australia.

In the other semi-final, Malaysia defeated Laos 3-0 to advance to the final. According to Sinar Harian, the turning point came very early when Laos had a player sent off in the 5th minute, allowing Malaysia to dominate the match. Goals from Yusof Nasrullah, Aniq Thaqif, and an own goal helped Malaysia seal the match in the second half. This victory ended Malaysia's 7-year wait to return to the U17 Southeast Asian Championship final. Their last appearance was in 2019, when they won the title after defeating Thailand.

U17 Vietnam players celebrate scoring the opening goal against Australia. Photo: Doan Huynh.

The final challenge is expected to be much tougher for Shukor Adan's squad. According to Makan Bola, Malaysia will face Vietnam with the goal of "achieving success and avenging their group stage defeat". In their opening match of Group A, Malaysia suffered a heavy 0-4 loss to Vietnam. That defeat remains a memory Malaysia aims to erase. At that time, Vietnam completely dominated due to the speed and flexible coordination of their attack. Therefore, Malaysian media view the upcoming final as an opportunity to demonstrate progress. "Attention is now on the Malaysian team led by Shukor Adan, as they seek revenge for their loss to Vietnam", Makan Bola wrote.

Conversely, Vietnam enters the final with an impressive record. Under coach Roland, the team boasts a 15-game unbeaten streak, having scored 52 goals and conceded only 5. The team also aims for a record four titles in the tournament, following victories in 2006, 2010, and 2017. Nevertheless, the final is expected to be unpredictable. Malaysia has shown resilience, overcoming the shock of a heavy opening match defeat to reach the final. Historically, similar scenarios have played out, such as in men's football at the 25th SEA Games in Laos in 2009, where Vietnam defeated Malaysia in the group stage but lost 0-1 to them in the gold medal match due to an own goal by defender Mai Xuan Hop.

The U17 Southeast Asian Championship 2026 final between Vietnam and Malaysia will take place from 19h30 on 24/4 at Delta Stadium, Sidoarjo.

Hoang An compiled.