Malaysia must overcome their fear of facing Vietnam

Having progressed from Group B, Malaysia must now turn their attention to the upcoming semi-final against Vietnam in the 2026 ASEAN Cup. Ahead of this encounter, the Malaysian side still has several areas that need urgent improvement.

Malaysia will host Vietnam at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on August 16, before the two teams play the return leg at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi three days later.

Malaysia's interim head coach, Tan Cheng Hoe, acknowledged that matches against Vietnam have always been a major challenge for his team. However, he believes the players need to enter the game with greater confidence.

"Vietnam are the favorites, while we are the underdogs," said coach Tan Cheng Hoe. "The players have nothing to lose. When facing Vietnam, we need to enjoy this moment. Hopefully, the stadium will be packed with fans cheering for the team.

The team spirit and the relationship between the players are very good right now. However, we still have areas to improve. The players are gradually understanding our tactics."

Coach Tan Cheng Hoe noted that Malaysia has long struggled when facing Vietnam and finding a win has been difficult. Therefore, it is crucial for the players to have more belief in their own abilities. The support from the home fans will also give the team extra motivation.

According to Tan Cheng Hoe, Malaysia especially needs to improve their attacking play. The one-two combinations between the midfielders and forwards must be executed better, which will help Malaysia create more space in Vietnam's half.

In addition, the ability of Malaysian players to win one-on-one situations must also be enhanced, so that their attacks are not easily stopped by the Vietnam defense.

The coach also believes that Malaysia must fully exploit the advantage of playing the first leg at Cheras, in order to secure a favorable result before traveling to Hanoi for the return leg.

Malaysia won the right to play in the semi-finals after a 1-0 victory over the Philippines, thanks to a goal from young player G. Pavithran. He scored after a pass from Wan Kuzain Wan Ahmad Kamal, a midfielder playing in the United States, in the 16th minute.

That narrow win helped Malaysia finish second in Group B with nine points, behind Thailand, who topped the group with twelve points.