ASEAN Cup 2026: South Korean media highly praises Vietnam national team

According to a VNA correspondent in Seoul, South Korean media, including Yonhap, reported on August 9 that in the final group stage match of Group A on August 7 at My Dinh National Stadium (Hanoi), the Vietnam national team defeated Cambodia 3-1. This result helped Vietnam top Group A with 10 points from three wins and one draw, surpassing Singapore with eight points. Notably, the victory over Cambodia extended Vietnam's international unbeaten run to 22 matches, consisting of 19 wins and three draws. This achievement further strengthens Vietnam's record of consecutive unbeaten matches, far exceeding the previous milestone of 18 games.

South Korean media paid special attention to the achievements of the Vietnam national team under coach Kim Sang Sik, stating that the consistent performance demonstrates the progress and growing competitiveness of Vietnamese football in the Southeast Asian region. The Vietnam national team is also being regarded as one of the top contenders for the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.

The Vietnam national team is currently the defending champion after winning the title in 2024 and is aiming to defend the trophy while also securing the fourth championship in the tournament's history. In the semifinals, the Vietnam national team will face Malaysia. Malaysia advanced after defeating the Philippines 1-0 at home on August 8, thereby accumulating nine points from three wins and one loss, finishing second in Group B behind Thailand, which won all four matches with 12 points. Malaysia has won the tournament only once, in 2010.

According to the tournament format, the semifinals and finals are played over two legs. Vietnam will play away in Malaysia for the first leg on August 16, before returning home for the second leg on August 19. If they overcome Malaysia, Vietnam will face the winner of the semifinal between Thailand and Singapore to compete for the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.