Khuat Van Khang was the only player with fitness issues and trained separately this afternoon. The midfielder, born in 2003, faced criticism from many fans on social media after some inaccurate plays in the second half of the win against Bangladesh.

On the afternoon of 30/3, the Vietnam national team held its first training session at Thien Truong Stadium. For Nguyen Xuan Son (number 12), this stadium is very familiar as it is also the home ground of Nam Dinh FC, the club he currently plays for. Alongside Son, Nguyen Van Vi and former Nam Dinh player Do Hoang Hen (right) are also familiar with this venue.

The old Nam Dinh city area has only one 4-star hotel, which the Malaysian team chose as their base. Consequently, the Vietnam team had to select a hotel in old Ha Nam, located about 30 km and a 40-minute bus ride from the stadium.

During the training, fitness coach Yoon Dong-hun (blue shirt) closely observed Xuan Son. The forward had sustained a minor injury to his right thigh muscle and did not perform as expected in the 45 minutes of the second half during the 3-0 friendly win against Bangladesh on 26/3.

However, Xuan Son affirmed that he is in peak physical condition and ready for tomorrow's match. Malaysian coach Peter Cklamovski acknowledged Son as a quality player but stated that his players would not focus on any individual, instead aiming to control the game in their own way.

Today also marks a special day for Xuan Son, as he celebrates his 29th birthday (30/3/1997 - 30/3). "I will try to score and help Vietnam defeat Malaysia," the Brazilian-born forward said before the training session. "This is also a special occasion as it's the first time I've played for the national team at Thien Truong Stadium, which I consider home."

Since his debut for the national team at the ASEAN Cup 2024, Xuan Son has scored 8 goals and provided two assists in 7 matches for Vietnam. In Southeast Asia, Son has scored against Singapore (three goals), Thailand, Myanmar (two), and Laos (one).

At the training session at Thien Truong Stadium, Xuan Son displayed a relaxed demeanor. He smiled frequently, including a moment when Tran Dinh Trong (number 6) "nutmegged" him during a rondo drill.

Compared to the 0-4 first-leg loss against Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium in June 2025, Vietnam has four notable new faces: Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, Doan Van Hau (right in the photo), and Tran Dinh Trong. Van Hau also played 45 minutes in the second half of the win against Bangladesh, marking his first appearance for the national team since June 2023.

"Watching Vietnam lose 0-4 to Malaysia was truly regrettable," the defender, born in 1999, said at this morning's press conference. "Playing Malaysia won't be easy, but we will try our best. The team that makes fewer mistakes will achieve their objective."

Van Hau's most recent match against Malaysia was when Vietnam won 3-0 in the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2022. The defender was involved in several controversial incidents, including one that led to Azam Azmi receiving a direct red card in the 62nd minute for an off-field collision.

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The goalkeeper position also presents a difficult choice for the coaching staff, as Dang Van Lam (right), Nguyen Filip (center), and Tran Trung Kien all show good form. In the first leg, Filip was selected but was unable to stop the opponent's difficult shots.

In terms of experience, Trung Kien is less seasoned than his two seniors.

Fans in Nam Dinh watched the national team train through the gaps in Thien Truong Stadium's iron gate. The stadium, with a capacity of approximately 20,000 seats, is expected to be filled with spectators, providing strong support for coach Kim Sang-sik's team. Currently, 300,000 dong tickets have sold out, with a small number of 200,000 and 400,000 dong tickets remaining.

The match will take place tomorrow, 31/3, at 7:00 p.m.

Before this match, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ruled Malaysia lost 0-3 in two previous matches against Nepal and Vietnam due to using seven naturalized players with forged documents. This decision caused Malaysia to lose the top spot in Group F and their Asian Cup 2027 finals ticket to Vietnam. However, both teams view the rematch not as a mere formality, but as an opportunity to secure a victory.

Hieu Luong