Vietnam’s national football team faced a crushing 0-4 loss to hosts Malaysia on June 10 in the second match of Group F in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. The defeat shocked both fans and pundits, largely due to the overwhelming performance by Malaysia's naturalized players.

Goalscorers:

·        Figueiredo (49’)

·        Holgado (59’)

·        Corbin Ong (67’)

·        Dion Cools (89’)

Malaysia’s starting lineup featured 9 naturalized players, a factor that visibly tipped the balance in favor of the home team. Despite a promising start, Vietnam’s lineup was disrupted by injuries to key defenders, severely affecting the team's structure and performance.

Starting XIs:
Malaysia: Syihan Hazmin, Matthew Davies, Tomas Garces, Irazabal Iraurgui, Arif Aiman, Hector Hevel, Vitor Figueiredo, Nooa Laine, Holgado, Dion Cools, Corbin Ong.

Vietnam: Nguyen Filip, Do Duy Manh, Thanh Chung (Xuan Manh 38’), Tien Dung (Ly Duc 46’), Van Vi (Tuan Hai 46’), Hoang Duc, Minh Khoa (Tien Linh 71’), Tien Anh, Hai Long (Quang Hai 60’), Pendant Quang Vinh, Ngoc Quang.

Following the defeat, Vietnam head coach Kim Sang Sik took full responsibility, citing defensive injuries and subpar physical condition among his players as contributing factors. He admitted that Malaysia’s five standout naturalized players performed far better than anticipated.

“We stuck to our initial plan in the first half, but injuries forced us to adapt. Malaysia’s naturalized players were stronger than we expected, and our players were not in optimal form,” said Kim. He also explained his decision to bench Quang Hai and Tien Linh, saying they were intended to be impact substitutes had Vietnam kept the first half goalless.

Despite the blow, Kim remains optimistic about the future: “Malaysia is strong now, but football is unpredictable. We’ll prepare better for the return leg in March 2026. Our players gave their all, and I take full responsibility for this unexpected loss.”

Vietnamese-French defender Jason Quang Vinh Pendant echoed the coach's sentiments, saying the team needed greater unity and drive: “We have to be stronger mentally, more cohesive, and more determined on the ball.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s head coach Peter Cklamovski responded to criticisms over his use of naturalized players: “There’s been too much talk about that. What matters is we won, and we showed how disciplined and unified this squad is. I hope this result unites the nation behind this team.”

Cklamovski emphasized his belief in collective strength: “It’s not about the best 11, it’s about the full squad. Even our substitutes made a strong impact today.”

With this dominant win, Malaysia moves closer to qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup finals. However, Cklamovski remains cautious: “We still need to improve our physical condition. People thought we couldn’t outrun Vietnam, but my players worked hard for 97 minutes.”

Thien Binh - Dai Nam