Vietnam national team coach Kim Sang-sik holds a press conference for the final round of Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. Photo: *Duc Dong*.

Vietnam had previously lost 0-4 to Malaysia on 10/6/2025 at Bukit Jalil stadium during the second leg of Group F. However, Vietnam was awarded a 3-0 victory after it was discovered that Malaysia used seven naturalized foreign players with fraudulent documents. Malaysia also faced a 0-3 forfeiture against Nepal, despite an initial 2-0 win in their opening match. These altered results secured Vietnam the top position in Group F and a spot in the Asian Cup 2027 finals, displacing Malaysia.

Vietnam has not lost to Malaysia since the second leg of the AFF Cup 2014 (now ASEAN Cup) semifinals, a match they lost 2-4, resulting in a 4-5 aggregate defeat that kept them out of the final. Over the past 20 years, Vietnam has secured 13 victories, two draws, and only two losses against Malaysia.

Vietnam currently holds a Southeast Asian record with a 12-match winning streak. Their last defeat was a 1-2 loss to Thailand in a 9/2024 friendly match. Since then, Coach Kim Sang-sik's squad has been unbeaten for 16 matches, securing 14 wins.

Hieu Luong