Malaysian newspaper wants home team to 'settle the debt' against U17 Vietnam

U17 Malaysia meets U17 Vietnam again in the final of the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship, and the country's press urges the home squad to claim the "owed" defeat from their 0-4 loss to U17 Vietnam in the group stage.

U17 Malaysia officially confronts U17 Vietnam in the final of the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship after both teams defeated their opponents in the semifinals.

The semifinal between U17 Laos and U17 Malaysia ended with a 3-0 victory for Malaysia, thanks to goals from Yusof Nasrullah, Aniq Thaqif, and an own goal by an opposing defender, securing their place in the final.

This victory also ends a seven-year wait for U17 Malaysia to reach the Southeast Asian U17 Championship final, as their last appearance was in 2019.

In the 2019 tournament, Malaysia, led by coach P. Maniam, reached the Southeast Asian U17 Championship final and became champions after defeating host Thailand 2-1 in Chonburi.

Malaysia's opponent in the final will be U17 Vietnam, who defeated Australia 2-1 in the other semifinal.

U17 Vietnam turned the game around after conceding an early goal in the first half, defeating Australia thanks to goals from Nguyễn Mạnh Cường and Nguyễn Văn Dương, thus advancing to the final.

Attention is now focused on the U17 Malaysia team led by Shukor Adan to achieve success in the final and repay the "debt" of their earlier loss to U17 Vietnam in the group stage.

In that match, U17 Malaysia lost 0-4 to U17 Vietnam in the opening game of Group A, before securing two wins and advancing as the group runner-up.

The final between U17 Malaysia and U17 Vietnam will take place on Friday, April 24, at Gelora Delta Sidoarjo Stadium, with kick-off at 7:30 PM.

Regarding the opponent U17 Malaysia, coach Cristiano Roland noted that this team will show significant changes compared to their group stage encounter. "Malaysia will enter the final with a completely different form and mindset. Therefore, we need thorough preparation and cannot be complacent," emphasized the Brazilian coach.