Coach Tan Cheng Hoe and the 'curse' of losing to Vietnamese football

Coach Tan Cheng Hoe doesn't need much time to understand the upcoming opponent of the Malaysian team he is leading. The Vietnamese team is undoubtedly the biggest obsession that has made his career with the national team less than smooth.

In six encounters with the Vietnamese team from 2018 to 2021,Coach Tan Cheng Hoehas only one draw and suffered as many as five defeats.

Those memories are especially bitter because the Vietnamese team has repeatedly made Malaysia regret in decisive matches.

At the 2018 AFF Cup, Malaysia drew 2-2 with Vietnam at Bukit Jalil but then lost 0-1 at My Dinh in the second leg of the final.

The next two years,Vietnamcontinued to beat Malaysia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and the 2020 AFF Cup. Those matches showed the gap in composure between the two football nations at that time.

This year, Coach Tan Cheng Hoe returned to the coaching seatof the Malaysian teamamid a major crisis in the country's football related to naturalization policies.

After penalties and upheaval, Malaysia was forced to sack Coach Peter Cklamovski, start over, and choose a local coach who understands the country's football very well.

The initial results were not bad. Malaysia earned 9 points after 4 matches, finished second in Group B and qualified for the semifinals. The comeback 2-1 win over Myanmar, the victory over Laos, and especially the way they overcame the Philippines in the final round showed that Coach Tan Cheng Hoe's team has considerable vitality.

However, if you look closely, Malaysia is not a very scary team. This team does not have superior control of the game, nor does it possess a star capable of changing the situation regularly. The clearest strength lies in their ability to exploit the right flank, where Sumareh and Kuzain have speed, technique, and the ability to create surprises.

Inside, Paulo Josue remains an important name. But the naturalized Brazilian-born striker is getting older and his form is quite inconsistent. More worryingly, Josue has not maintained the expected effectiveness since losing his familiar partner Endrick.

A serious injury forced Endrick to miss the 2026 ASEAN Cup, which is a big loss for Malaysia but good news for Vietnam. The former Ho Chi Minh City Police player understands Vietnamese football, has faced Vietnamese players many times, and can create situations that Coach Kim Sang Sik's defense needs to be particularly wary of.

Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team have just experienced a not entirely easy group stage. Dinh Bac and his teammates topped Group A with 10 points, scoring 13 goals and conceding only one, but the 0-0 draw with Singapore and the hard-fought 3-1 win over Cambodia showed that the team still has gaps.

The midfield was once fragile, the attack was sometimes stuck, and the defense still had individual errors. Against Cambodia, Vietnam once lost their lead and could only settle the match in the final minutes.

Malaysia will certainly see that. Coach Tan Cheng Hoe has even more reason to believe that he understands Vietnam better than many other opponents. He has faced the generation of Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, experienced the strength of Vietnamese football under Park Hang Seo, and now prepares to meet a new version under Coach Kim Sang Sik.

The Vietnamese team just beat Malaysia 3-1 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in March 2026. That is a significant psychological advantage, but it cannot turn into complacency. The two semifinal matches on August 16 and 19 will be a completely different story.

Malaysia no longer has the array of naturalized stars as before, but Coach Tan Cheng Hoe has one thing he understands very well: Vietnam will face greater pressure as the defending champions, the higher-rated team, and responsible for protecting the title.

Malaysia can enter the match with a more relaxed mindset, fighting with ambition and also past debts. Coach Tan Cheng Hoe has lost to Vietnam 5 times. That is an obsession, but also a motivation.