2026 ASEAN Cup semi: Vietnam seek to break Hanoi stadium curse against Malaysia

The match is scheduled for 8:00 pm, with Vietnam taking a commanding 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Kuala Lumpur.

With home advantage, superior form, and a stronger squad, Vietnam are widely regarded as favourites to reach the final.

Yet head coach Kim Sang Sik and his men have often struggled at My Dinh Stadium.

In their two 2026 ASEAN Championship group-stage matches at My Dinh, Vietnam scored only three goals, four times fewer than the 12 they produced in three away games.

Dinh Bac and his teammates were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Singapore before beating Cambodia 3-1, with two late goals in the 84th and 89th minutes sealing the victory.

Coach Kim acknowledged the issue ahead of the second leg.

“In every match, Vietnam always give everything because we want to win,” he said at a pre-match press conference.

“However, sometimes the result does not go as expected.

“Against Malaysia, we will try to produce the best possible result.”

Vietnam are not only seeking to end their recent difficulties at My Dinh under Kim.

They also want to avoid repeating a painful chapter in their history against Malaysia at the stadium.

In the 2014 AFF Cup semifinal, the predecessor of the ASEAN Championship, Vietnam won the first leg 2-1 at Shah Alam Stadium.

However, they suffered a stunning 4-2 defeat in the return leg at My Dinh and were eliminated in heartbreaking fashion.

Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe has also invoked that famous comeback as his side seek inspiration ahead of the decisive encounter.

“I know the Malaysian players understand our current situation and how strong Vietnam are at the moment,” he said.

“Nevertheless, anything can happen in football. Sometimes a single moment can decide an entire match.”

An upset looks unlikely

Although Vietnam won the first leg 2-0, Malaysia enjoyed spells of dominance and created several dangerous chances.

Fortunately, their opponents failed to capitalize.

Coach Kim has therefore warned his players against complacency, particularly after Thailand’s 2-1 home defeat by Singapore in the second leg of their semifinal on Tuesday.

Thailand nevertheless advanced due to winning the first leg 3-1.

During video-review sessions and the team’s final training session on Tuesday, coach Kim worked to correct the shortcomings.

Improving control on both flanks was one of his main priorities.

In Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam repeatedly allowed Malaysia’s wide forwards Gunalan and Sumareh to break through and create dangerous situations.

“We will prepare additional attacking options so that Vietnam can score more goals, while also limiting the threat from Malaysia on the flanks,” Kim said.

Malaysia are determined to overturn the deficit, but their chances appear limited given their current personnel problems.

Center-back Rodney Celvin is the latest player ruled out of the second leg.

He lasted only 16 minutes in the first leg before being replaced by Aysar Hadi.

His absence further weakens the Malaysian defense facing the formidable Vietnamese attack.

As a result, much of the attention in Vietnam is focused on how coach Kim will select his starting line-up.

He must balance the desire for a convincing victory that would finally dispel the My Dinh curse with the need to preserve his players’ fitness for the two-match final.

Van Vi missed the final training session because of a minor injury.

Coach Kim, however, has alternatives in Doan Van Hau and Phan Tuan Tai.