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| Do Duy Manh (C) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal in the 6th minute. (Photo: VNA) |
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam beat Malaysia 3-1 at Thien Truong Stadium on March 31 evening to finish their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a perfect record of six wins from six matches.
Vietnam have already qualified for the finals after the continental football governing body AFC fined Malaysia for players' fake documents and three points from the two sides' first meet last year were given to Vietnam.
On the home ground, Vietnam took an early lead in the 6th minute when captain Do Duy Manh headed in from a corner delivered by Truong Tien Anh.
Malaysia responded with several attacking attempts in the first half, including a missed opportunity by Faisal Halim and a header over the bar from Paulo Josue, but Vietnam maintained their advantage before going into the break.
The hosts continued to create chances, with Nguyen Hoang Duc hitting the post from a long range and Nguyen Quang Hai sending a volley wide.
Malaysia also threatened through set pieces, but goalkeeper Nguyen Filip made a key save early in the second half to preserve the lead.
Vietnam extended their advantage in the 51st minute when Nguyen Xuan Son headed in a cross from Do Hoang Hen. Xuan Son added his second goal eight minutes later with another header, making it 3-0 as Vietnam dominated possession and control.
Malaysia struggled to regain momentum despite several substitutions, with their attacking efforts largely contained by Vietnam’s defence. Late chances for both sides went unfinished, including a one-on-one opportunity for substitute Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong.
The visitors pulled one goal back from a penalty in the closing stages, but it did not affect the outcome as Vietnam comfortably saw out the match.
The result confirmed Vietnam’s strong qualifying campaign, highlighted by consistent performances and attacking efficiency, with all three goals in this match coming from headers./.
