Harimau Malaya fall to Vietnam in Asean Cup semis, face tough return leg

Malaysia suffered a 2-0 defeat against Vietnam in the first leg of their 2026 Asean Cup semi-final match at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium. Nguyen Xuan Son scored in the fifth minute of the first half in stoppage time, and Muhammad Faris Danish Asrul committed an own goal in the 86th minute. The first half was relatively even, with neither team generating much excitement during the initial 30 minutes.

Malaysia managed to take the lead in the 35th minute when Muhammad Faris Danish Asrul's low cross reached Daryl Sham K. George, whose shot went wide. Vietnam intensified in the second half, with Xuan Son coming close to scoring a couple of times, but Malaysia's goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang saved both attempts. Just before halftime, Vietnam's striker Xuan Son's header from a cross by Truong Tien Anh went wide, while Nguyen Dinh Bac's effort from outside the penalty area hit the goalkeeper's hands.

In the 61st minute, Vietnam's goalkeeper Patrik was sent off after a challenge on naturalized player Mohamadou Sumareh, but the VAR overturned the decision. Despite the setback, Vietnam continued to press, and in the 86th minute, Muhammad Faris Danish Asrul's deflection of Nguyen Quang Hai's cross into his own net. Despite the two-goal deficit, Malaysia continued to push forward, with winger G. Pavithran missing a chance from a tight angle in the 90th minute, and Muhammad Faris Danish Asrul's effort being saved by Patrik in the second-half stoppage time.