ASEAN Cup: Vietnam and Malaysia hit by major squad crises ahead of play-off

Vietnam hit by severe crisis: Nguyen Xuan Son sidelined long-term

Striker Nguyen Xuan Son has suffered a torn hamstring, ruling him out for four to six weeks. Key figures Quang Hai, Thanh Chung, Viet Anh, and Hoang Hen are also sidelined with injuries. This leaves head coach Kim Sang-sik with just three fit forwards in Dinh Bac, Williams Minh Hoang, and Hai Long, alongside only four fully fit centre-backs.

Massive blow for Malaysia: Captain Dion Cools withdraws from tournament

The 30-year-old centre-back Dion Cools has left the Malaysia squad due to family reasons ahead of the third-place play-off on 5 October 2026, having helped his side keep three clean sheets in the group stage. Earlier, star player Faisal Halim also withdrew from the tournament through injury, while forward Bergson da Silva remains available despite picking up two yellow cards.

Indonesia vs Thailand final: Record ticket frenzy at Bung Karno

Over 55,000 tickets for the final at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium had sold out by the afternoon of 3 October 2026, with a near-capacity crowd of 80,000 expected. Historical head-to-heads at this venue show Thailand have twice defeated Indonesia in the finals, in 1997 and 2002, both times via a penalty shootout.