Vietnam and Thailand both won away from home in the first leg of the ASEAN Championship semi-finals, putting the two most recent finalists within reach of a rematch.
The defending champions beat Malaysia 2-0 in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, a day after Thailand won 3-1 against Singapore at Jalan Besar Stadium. Both play the return leg at home.
How did Vietnam win?
Tournament organisers described the two-goal margin as undeserved for Malaysia, who had Faris denied by an acrobatic save from Le Giang Patrik in the closing seconds. Xuan Son was named player of the match.
| Tie | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia v Vietnam | 0-2 | Hanoi, Wednesday |
| Singapore v Thailand | 1-3 | Rajamangala, Bangkok |
Who is in the ASEAN Championship semi-finals?
The 2026 ASEAN Championship semi-finals are contested by Vietnam against Malaysia and Thailand against Singapore, each over two legs. In the first legs, played on 15 and 16 August 2026, Thailand beat Singapore 3-1 at Jalan Besar Stadium and Vietnam beat Malaysia 2-0 in Kuala Lumpur. Nguyen Xuan Son scored Vietnam’s opening goal with a diving header in first-half stoppage time, with a Faris Danish own goal completing the scoring. Teerasak Poeiphimai scored twice for Thailand. Both second legs are played at home for the away winners, with Vietnam hosting Malaysia at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on 19 August. The competition does not apply the away goals rule. Vietnam are defending champions, having beaten Thailand 5-3 on aggregate in the 2024 final. The final is played over two legs, concluding by 26 August.
What happened in Singapore?
Teerasak Poeiphimai scored twice as Thailand took a 3-1 lead. Coach Anthony Hudson said his side still had room to improve. Singapore coach Gavin Lee said his team were complicit in the defeat, leaving themselves an uphill task to reach a first regional final since 2012.
Thailand had come through the group stage with four wins and no goals conceded, despite fielding a weakened squad after several clubs declined to release players.
What is still to play for?
The competition does not use the away goals rule, so both leads are straightforward two-goal advantages on aggregate.
Vietnam host Malaysia at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday. If both hold their advantage, Vietnam and Thailand meet in the final, a rematch of 2024 when Vietnam won 5-3 on aggregate for a third title.
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Sources for this report
The Redline News Desk
The Redline News desk files and edits world reporting. Every story carries the sources it was built from, and corrections are published on the story itself.
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