AFC hails Vietnam’s Xuan Son after match-winning brace against Malaysia

Vietnam hosted Malaysia at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg and created a series of chances, but goalkeeper Azri Ghani repeatedly kept the hosts at bay.

Phan Tuan Tai, Nguyen Dinh Bac, and Doan Van Hau all tested Malaysia’s defense early on, but goalkeeper Ghani stood firm to keep the visitors’ comeback hopes alive.

The Malaysian goalkeeper made a diving save to keep out Dinh Bac’s curling shot before denying further efforts from Van Hau and Nguyen Quang Hai.

Do Hoang Hen then missed another good opportunity late in the first half.

With Vietnam struggling to break the deadlock, head coach Kim Sang Sik sent Xuan Son on in the 59th minute.

The striker needed just three minutes to make an impact.

Truong Tien Anh’s shot was blocked by the Malaysian defense, with the loose ball falling to Xuan Son at close range. He reacted quickly to fire home and put Vietnam ahead.

Xuan Son completed his brace in the 89th minute, carrying the ball forward from the left before finishing across goal to seal a 2-0 victory.

The result gave Vietnam a 4-0 aggregate win over Malaysia and sent Kim's side into the final.

The brace took Xuan Son to five goals, level with teammate Dinh Bac at the top of the 2026 ASEAN Cup scoring chart.

Vietnam will face Thailand in the 2026 ASEAN Cup final.

The first leg will take place at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok at 8:00 pm on August 22, while the return game will be played at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi at 8:00 pm on August 26.

The 2026 ASEAN Cup runs from July 24 to August 26, with 10 teams divided into two groups.

Vietnam were drawn in Group A alongside Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, while Group B featured Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.