Vietnam star forward Nguyen Dinh Bac suspended after Asian Cup red card, to miss crucial Malaysia clash

The VFF has been hit with a US$1,500 fine after five Vietnam players received yellow cards during their thrilling 3-2 victory over Thailand in the 33rd SEA Games final in December. The booked players were Khuat Van Khang, Pham Minh Phuc, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Le Van Thuan.

Meanwhile, Bac was handed a two-match suspension and a $1,000 fine after he received a direct red card in the 86th minute of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup third-place playoff in January for kicking South Korea’s Lee Chan-ouk in the shin.

Since this tournament marked the 22-year-old’s final eligible appearance at the U23 level, his suspension will carry over to the national team. This ruling is based on the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code, which dictates that if a suspension cannot be served within the same age group competition, it transfers to the team’s next official match in a higher age category.

As a result, Bac will miss Vietnam’s crucial 2027 Asian Cup qualifying match against Malaysia at Thien Truong Stadium on March 31. If Vietnam qualify for the Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027, Bac will also miss the opening group stage match to complete his two-game ban.

Bac is not the only Vietnam player facing a carry-over suspension.

Center-back Pham Ly Duc is serving a three-match ban following a serious foul during the U23 Asian Cup’s 0-3 semi-final loss to China. The 23-year-old player already sat out the third-place match against South Korea and will face a similar carry-over to the national team for his remaining suspended games.

Bac’s absence will deprive head coach Kim Sang-sik of a dynamic attacking option heading into the decisive Group F clash against Malaysia, the final game of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Vietnam currently sit second in Group F with 12 points, trailing Malaysia by three, with a significant goal difference deficit (+6 compared to Malaysia’s +14).

Because the AFC uses head-to-head records followed by goal difference as tiebreakers, and Vietnam lost the first leg 0-4 to Malaysia, Coach Kim’s squad would need a massive five-goal victory to reclaim the top spot. A four-goal victory would leave the teams tied across all metrics, forcing a penalty shootout to determine the group winner.

However, the group standings could drastically shift off the pitch.

FIFA recently determined that Malaysia fielded ineligible naturalized players during the qualifiers. The Football Association of Malaysia has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

CAS is expected to announce the final ruling this month, and if FAM’s appeal fails, Malaysia risk being handed 0-3 forfeit losses for their matches against Nepal and Vietnam in the qualifiers last June. Under that scenario, Vietnam would automatically top Group F without caring about the result of the match on March 31.