Vietnam's standing in the regional media was high before the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. Just last month, coach Kim Sang-sik's team secured the ASEAN Cup (formerly AFF Cup) for the second consecutive time, a first in Vietnamese football history.

However, the team's fortunes took an unexpected turn. Even after a 0-2 loss to Thailand in the group stage, which ended coach Kim's 27-match unbeaten streak, Vietnam was still considered the favorite ahead of the third-place playoff on the evening of 5/10. Historically, Malaysia had not beaten Vietnam in 12 years. Most recently, in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals, they lost both legs with an aggregate score of 0-4. Ultimately, coach Kim's team lost 0-1 to Malaysia, concluding their tournament outside the top three.

Nguyen Hoang Duc and his teammates were dejected after Malaysia scored in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 third-place playoff at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia on 5/10. Photo: Hai Tu

Malaysian media celebrated the historic victory. The Star reported that Vietnam dominated the first 15 minutes, creating three to four chances. However, after Fergus Tierney scored, Malaysia adopted a defensive strategy to protect their lead, making it difficult for coach Kim's team. Malaysia successfully defended their result, finishing the tournament unbeaten, scoring 10 goals, and conceding none.

The news agency also highlighted Malaysia's victory over Vietnam despite not having their strongest squad. Captain Dion Cools was absent, while Arif Aiman and Brad Tapp did not start.

Astro Awani's headline declared: "Malaysia ends 12-year wait, Vietnam finally falls". The article recalled Malaysia's last victory over Vietnam, a 4-2 win in the second leg of the 2014 AFF Cup semifinals at My Dinh Stadium.

According to the newspaper, the victory not only ended more than a decade of waiting against Vietnam but also extended a positive tournament run for interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe's team. Before this match, Malaysia beat Bangladesh 3-0, drew 0-0 with host Indonesia, and crushed Singapore 6-0 in the group stage. They only missed the final due to fewer goals scored compared to Indonesia.

The Star also focused on Malaysia's 12 years of football struggles against Vietnam before turning a new page in the FIFA ASEAN Cup. The article emphasized Malaysia's defensive record: they were the only team to finish four matches in the tournament without conceding a goal, in addition to scoring 10.

Malaysiakini called the win against Vietnam a "historic" turning point. The newspaper also contextualized the result with FIFA rankings, where Malaysia stood 136th in the world, while Vietnam was 99th.

From Thailand, Siamsport reported in detail on Vietnam's defeat in the third-place playoff. The newspaper highlighted a situation in the 72nd minute when Le Van Do was challenged by Harith Haiqal in the penalty area. The referee initially awarded Vietnam a penalty, but after reviewing VAR, he overturned the decision, determining the Malaysian defender touched the ball first. Siamsport wrote that after that incident, Vietnam intensified their attacks but could not score, accepting a 0-1 loss.

From Indonesia, the most notable perspective lay in the contrast between pre-tournament expectations and Vietnam's final result. Before the FIFA ASEAN Cup, former coach Raja Isa stated on Bola.com that Vietnam "should not be underestimated", despite their squad value being only fifth in the tournament. He emphasized Vietnam's "championship tradition and cohesion", placing coach Kim's team alongside Thailand and Malaysia as major rivals for Indonesia.

Detik also cited pre-tournament analysis showing Vietnam was considered a top championship contender, trailing only Indonesia and Thailand. At that time, Vietnam ranked third among contenders, with a 14% mention rate, on par with Malaysia. These factors made the final result more noteworthy: Vietnam not only failed to reach the final but also lost to Malaysia in the third-place playoff. According to Detik, given their experience, "Vietnam must be content with fourth place".

Quang Dung