Malaysian newspaper unexpectedly comments on the performance of 4 Vietnamese national team players

Malaysian media recently made notable assessments ahead of the encounter between the Vietnamese national team and Malaysia in the final qualifying round for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

In an article published on the sports site MakanBola, this newspaper headlines: "Vietnam's attack 'paralyzed', an opportunity for Malaysia to explode", stating that the team under coach Peter Cklamovski faces a major opportunity to create a surprise. According to MakanBola's assessment: "The Malaysian national team is considered to have an opportunity to create a surprise in the upcoming match against Vietnam."

The article also emphasizes that the Vietnamese national team suffers personnel losses. Accordingly, the Malaysian newspaper writes: "The golden star warriors are confirmed to be missing key central defender Bui Tien Dung, who is injured and not called up to the national team this time."

Not only the defense, the issue with Vietnam's attack is also particularly noted by Malaysian media. The article states: "Coach Kim Sang-sik is also struggling to select the attacking lineup for the match against Malaysia at the end of the month." Specifically, MakanBola cites: "Nguyen Van Vi has yet to score any goals, similarly Chau Ngoc Quang (0 goals), while Nguyen Hai Long has only scored 1 goal. These are names previously expected to carry Vietnam's attack in the encounter with Malaysia."

In reality, in this season's V.League, Hai Long has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist after 16 appearances for Hanoi FC, including one goal against SLNA on March 13. Meanwhile, although not scoring, Van Vi managed 2 assists for Thep Xanh Nam Dinh after 15 matches. Notably, midfielder Chau Ngoc Quang (Ninh Binh FC) suffered a severe knee ligament tear in the match against Hai Phong on September 28, 2025 (Round 5 of V-League 2025/26), thus unable to join the Vietnamese national team for the FIFA Days in March 2026.

Nevertheless, the article also acknowledges that the Vietnamese national team still possesses individuals with stable performance. Among them, Makanbola highlights: "Key midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc currently ranks fifth in the scoring list with 6 goals after 15 matches, becoming the team's most efficient player this season."

According to the schedule, the match between Vietnam and Malaysia in the final Asian Cup 2027 qualifier is scheduled to take place at 19:00 on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh). This is seen as a pivotal encounter in the group, as both teams aim to secure favorable results to gain an advantage in the race for a ticket to the Asian Cup 2027 finals.