Malaysia unexpectedly heads to Thailand ahead of rematch with Vietnam national team

The Malaysia national team will have a training camp in Thailand before the final match against the Vietnam national team in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.

On the afternoon of March 19, Coach Peter Cklamovski announced the list of 28 players selected for the Malaysia national team to face Vietnam in the final match of Group F in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. Accordingly, the Australian strategist still called up 13 out of 28 mixed and naturalized players following the recent controversy involving seven players.

Notably, the Malaysia national team will have a training camp in Thailand before traveling to Vietnam for the match. According to the plan, Coach Cklamovski's squad will assemble on March 23, then train in Thailand from March 24-27 before departing to Ninh Binh to prepare for the final match, scheduled for March 31 at Thiên Trường Stadium.

In reality, the match between Vietnam and Malaysia on March 31 is merely a formality, as the Vietnam national team has already secured qualification for the Asian Cup 2027 finals one round early. Specifically, after being awarded a 3-0 win over Malaysia, the red-shirted team has 15 points and leads Group F. Meanwhile, being penalized with losses in two matches leaves Malaysia with only 9 points. Even if they defeat Vietnam in the final round, they cannot overtake to lead the group.

According to the latest statement from Mr. Rob Friend – Executive Director of the Malaysia national team, despite suffering significant losses in points and morale, Malaysia affirms they will not give up. "Currently, we are fully focused on preparing for the upcoming match against the Vietnam national team. The Malaysia national team will come to compete with confidence, resilience, and discipline as demonstrated throughout 2025. We thank the fans for their continuous support and belief in the team."

On the other side, Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are also determined to defeat Malaysia at home as a gift for the fans, while reaffirming the status of Vietnamese football in the region.