Vietnam Strike Twice to Defeat Malaysia in ASEAN HYUNDAI CUP Semi-Final Opener
Vietnam took a major step toward another ASEAN Hyundai Cup final after defeating Malaysia 2–0 in the opening leg of their 2026 semi-final in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
The defending champions broke the deadlock shortly before halftime when Nguyễn Xuân Son produced a spectacular diving header five minutes into stoppage time. Malaysia pushed for an equaliser after the break but struggled to find a way through Vietnam’s defence.
With only four minutes left on the clock, Malaysia suffered another setback when Faris Danish inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, giving Vietnam a valuable two-goal advantage heading into the return fixture.
Despite the final scoreline, Malaysia created opportunities and arguably deserved more from the match. Faris came close to pulling one back in the closing moments, only for Vietnam goalkeeper Lê Giang Patrik to make an outstanding acrobatic save.
Vietnam will now carry their 2–0 advantage into the second leg in Hanoi on Wednesday, while Malaysia face the difficult task of overturning the deficit away from home.
