Sport : Fergus' Strike Seals Malaysia’s Victory For Third-place Finish In FIFA ASEAN Cup

Malaysia secured a third-place finish in the 2026 Fifa Asean Cup after narrowly defeating Vietnam 1-0 in the third-place playoff at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. Substitute goalkeeper Fergus Tierney scored the lone goal in the 62nd minute, marking a significant moment as he ended Malaysia's long-standing winless streak against Vietnam.

The last victory against Vietnam was achieved in the second leg of the 2014 AFF Cup semi-finals. Interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe's team brought three changes to their lineup, omitting Brad Tapp and Arif Aiman Hanapi, while captain Dion Cools withdrew due to personal reasons. Vietnam, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, posed a significant threat in the opening half, frequently pressuring Malaysia's defense with aggressive attacks and cross plays.

However, Malaysia came closer to breaking the deadlock in the 39th minute when Bergson da Silva skillfully dribbled past a Vietnamese defender, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang. Vietnam responded four minutes later through Nguyen Hai Long, who scored a close-range free-kick, only for it to be gathered by Syihan.

In first-half stoppage time, Ngo Dang Khoa had a shot from outside the penalty area deflect narrowly wide. In the second half, Malaysia responded two minutes after the restart when Bergson, who had evaded the offside trap, fired a powerful shot that missed the right post. Tierney made an immediate impact by replacing Bergson, receiving Manuel Hidalgo's pass, turning sharply, and firing a powerful shot past Le Giang to give Malaysia the lead.

Malaysia's defense, led by Tierney's efforts, managed to keep a clean sheet throughout the match, thereby ending their campaign on a positive note after narrowly missing out on the final on goals scored, despite finishing tied with hosts Indonesia on points and goal difference in Division 1 Group A.