Vietnam's 12-year unbeaten run against Malaysia shattered in dramatic ASEAN Cup play-off defeat

On the afternoon of 5 October 2026, Vietnam suffered a bitter 1-0 defeat to Malaysia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 third-place play-off at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. This result marks a forgettable milestone, as Vietnam tasted defeat against their rivals in a competitive match for the first time in 12 years.

This bitter defeat exposed a severe selection crisis for head coach Kim Sang-sik. A devastating wave of injuries swept through the squad, leaving Vietnam to head into the clash with just 17 fully fit players in their matchday squad.

Bitter 1-0 defeat and controversial VAR decisions

The turning point came in the 62nd minute when forward Fergus Tierney capitalised on a defensive lapse to net the only goal of the game for Malaysia. Subsequent efforts to fight back from the Golden Star Warriors were completely thwarted by controversial decisions from the VAR officials.

Specifically, VAR twice denied Vietnam penalties in the 73rd and 85th minutes following highly contentious challenges inside the box. These decisions left the coaching staff and fans absolutely furious as clear opportunities to equalise were snatched away.

This painful defeat not only left Vietnam empty-handed but also resulted in a loss of approximately 6.33 ranking points in the official FIFA standings.

Devastating injury crisis and a grim 12-year milestone

The root cause of this selection crisis was a hamstring tear that forced striker Nguyen Xuan Son to withdraw early, alongside Do Hoang Hen being sidelined for a month. These heavy blows left manager Kim Sang-sik with just 17 fully fit players before kick-off.

The loss officially marks Vietnam's first competitive defeat against Malaysia since December 2014.

Editorial perspective

Vietnam's defeat was the inevitable consequence of a severe squad crisis, which stripped head coach Kim Sang-sik of his key options. This lack of depth, combined with a total lack of luck from VAR decisions, left the team unable to turn the tide.

In your opinion, were the VAR decisions to deny Vietnam two penalties correct?