Malaysia's 'Hero': 'Facing Vietnam, the only goal is victory'

With his goal securing Malaysia's 1-0 victory over the Philippines and a place in the 2026 ASEAN Cup semifinals, G Pavithran swiftly shifted focus to the match against Vietnam, declaring that victory is Malaysia's sole objective.

Pavithran believes the passionate support from fans, who filled the stadium for the final Group B match, signals that the Malaysian team will continue to receive strong backing when they host Vietnam.

Moreover, Pavithran stated that the advantage of playing at home is something Malaysia must fully exploit in pursuit of victory.

"Looking at last night's match, the fans came out and the stands were packed. I think the game against Vietnam will be the same—the stadium will be full.

So that's our advantage playing at home. Our goal remains the same: we play to win. That's our only objective for that match," Pavithran said in an interview with Hmetro.

Pavithran's goal helped Malaysia finish second in Group B with 9 points, while Thailand topped the group with 12 points.

For Pavithran, the victory over the Philippines also gives him a chance to enjoy bigger experiences with the Malaysian national team, after admitting he felt some pressure in the opening match against Myanmar.

Pavithran said that encouragement from interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe and his teammates helped him get through that period.

"Speaking about the first match against Myanmar, I felt a bit of pressure. After that game, I first want to thank Coach Tan, who always encouraged me, never got angry, and always supported me. My teammates are the same—they always backed me up," he said.

After the Philippines fell victim to Pavithran's goal, Vietnam now becomes the next target for him and his teammates. Malaysia will enter the first leg of the semifinal with the advantage of playing at home.

Pavithran's teammate Wan Kuzain shares the same view. The 28-year-old midfielder made his first start for Malaysia in the match against the Philippines at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras last night. He also contributed an assist, helping Malaysia secure a place among the top four teams.

For Wan Kuzain, this victory is especially meaningful as Malaysia had to play under immense pressure. However, he doesn't want that success to affect the team's focus on the next task.

"It's amazing. Of course, it's my first start and most importantly we got the win. That's really great.

This match brought a lot of pressure, and qualifying for the semifinals gives an incredible feeling. I couldn't ask for anything better."

Wan Kuzain said the important thing now is to enjoy the victory before the players get back to work, preparing hard for the match against Vietnam.

"We'll enjoy this moment today (last night). Then, very quickly, the next day we'll say it's time to prepare for another game.

But for now, we just want to savor this win and achievement before focusing on the Vietnam team," he said.

The victory at Cheras also extended Wan Kuzain's fond memories of this stadium, after he scored in Malaysia's previous match there.

However, Wan Kuzain values most the support from the fans who filled the stands. He believes such backing is exactly what Malaysia needs when facing Vietnam.

"The players and this team have proven that we deserve all the support people can give us.

Of course, playing at Cheras—this stadium is smaller than Bukit Jalil—and you could see the support we received today, with the stadium packed full.

So that's all we could ask for. Just the support, positive messages, and everything that comes with it—we can make use of all of it."