The Vietnam national team: History lies ahead.

According to certain data, whenever Vietnam meets Malaysia in the semifinals of the Southeast Asian championship, the Vietnamese team is unable to reach the final. This is shown by the 2010 and 2014 editions, right up to the present.

Another statistic from the past decade shows that Malaysia has never defeated Vietnam across all tournaments. In fact, Vietnam has a significantly higher number of victories compared to draws and losses. The most recent encounters were two matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

In the first leg of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup semifinal (the precursor to today's ASEAN Cup), held at Bukit Jalil Stadium, the defending champions Vietnam suffered a 0-2 defeat. That match, a "one loss leads to many doubts" affair, was a painful memory for coach Calisto. Players like goalkeeper Tan Truong, young midfielder Phan Thanh Hung, and seasoned center-backs Nhu Thanh and Huy Hoang were singled out. Yet, there was still the second leg to play.

In the return leg at My Dinh Stadium, Vietnam failed to break through Malaysia's defense. The tie was essentially decided in Bukit Jalil. That year, Malaysia claimed the title, their first and only championship in the tournament's 30-year history, after defeating Indonesia 5-1 on aggregate in the final.

In the most recent head-to-head matches between Vietnam and Malaysia, each team has one win and one loss. The 0-4 defeat on Malaysian soil was later awarded as a win for Vietnam due to Malaysia's irregularities in naturalizing foreign players. This explains why Vietnam has remained unbeaten against Malaysia for over a decade, as previously noted.

To date, one of Vietnam's most impressive and unforgettable wins against Malaysia came during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers at My Dinh Stadium. Sports & Culture titled it "Quang Hai's decisive strike," highlighting the world-class goal set up by Que Ngoc Hai's clever through ball.

In that World Cup qualifying campaign, Vietnamese football made history by advancing to the final stage, competing against top teams like Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia who were fighting for a place in Qatar. Vietnam played a series of excellent matches and secured four extremely valuable points against China and Japan.

History lies ahead. The milestones we have achieved are meant to be surpassed, not to dwell on the past. The historical record against Malaysia in both regional and continental competitions is merely for reference.

Returning to the present. As Sports & Culture noted, Coach Kim Sang Sik's team's campaign in the 2026 ASEAN Cup truly begins from the semifinals onward. Even finishing as runners-up this year would be considered a failure, not to mention any earlier stumble.

The 2026 ASEAN Cup is merely a dress rehearsal, preparing us for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia and beyond, the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. Those are the true arenas for this generation of players who are both skilled and dedicated. The history of football, with its milestones, still lies ahead.

The writer believes that Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players have the potential to achieve far more than just regional success. Malaysia, Vietnam's opponent in the 2026 ASEAN Cup semifinal, is merely a test and the next step in their preparation.

Move forward, Kim's boys!