Malaysian fans painfully admit one thing after losing 0-4 to the Vietnamese national team.

Malaysian fans acknowledge that both at the national team and youth levels, Vietnamese football is now ahead.

Vietnam U17 started the 2026 Southeast Asia U17 Championship perfectly with a 4-0 victory over Malaysia. This is the same scoreline that coach Roland's team previously defeated Malaysia U17 in the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers. Their attractive style and effective attacking play earned Vietnam U17 much praise.

After the match, the Malaysian fan community expressed genuine admiration for the opponent's performance. A widely agreed comment stated: "Vietnam U17 played with such discipline, from ball distribution, movement to finishing—all very clear. They not only won but won convincingly, deserving to be championship contenders."

Many other opinions expressed concern looking at the gap between the two football systems. One fan shared: "Not only at the national team level, but even our youth football is falling far behind Vietnam. This defeat shows Malaysia has almost no chance to compete when facing them."

Another fan candidly said: "Seeing Vietnam's attacking approach clearly shows the difference. They combine quickly, with few touches, and always know how to exploit space. Meanwhile, Malaysia played without ideas and were easily read."

Alongside disappointment, some fans also praised the potential of Vietnamese football: "This U17 generation is truly high-quality. If they continue to develop, the Vietnamese national team will become much stronger in a few years. This is something that makes regional opponents worried."

Finally, many called for change: "Malaysian football must face reality and reform from the youth training system. Without improvement, the gap with Vietnam and other strong Southeast Asian teams will widen further, and defeats like this will repeat."

Link to watch Vietnam U17 vs Malaysia U17 live, 3:30 PM today, April 13.

Where to watch Vietnam U17 vs Malaysia U17 live today?