Malaysia national team coach Peter Cklamovski attends a press conference at Bukit Jalil Stadium in June 9, 2025, one day before hosting Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying match. Photo by Read/Hai Tu |
Malaysia originally defeated Vietnam 4-0 and Nepal 2-0 in the first leg of Group F of the qualifiers at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10, 2025.
However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) subsequently handed Malaysia 0-3 forfeit losses for fielding foreign-born players with falsified naturalized documents.
These results dropped Malaysia from the top spot in the group, simultaneously allowing Vietnam to officially qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
As a result, the return match scheduled for Tuesday at Thien Truong Stadium in Ninh Binh no longer carries value in terms of qualification. However, Cklamovski has no intention of treating it lightly.
“What happened has weighed heavily on the minds of the Malaysia players over the past few months. But we will try to turn that frustration into motivation to strengthen their spirits,” Cklamovski said at the press conference on Monday.
“Malaysia are only focused on what the team can achieve at the moment. My players have been very determined from the beginning of this training camp, with the goal of defeating Vietnam to forget the disappointment of not qualifying for the Asian Cup.”
Malaysia have not defeated Vietnam since the second leg of the 2014 AFF Cup semi-final. Over the past 20 years, Malaysia’s head-to-head record against Vietnam has been dismal, with only two wins, two draws, and 13 losses.
“We want to reverse history, because for the past 12 years, Malaysia have not beaten Vietnam,” the Australian coach added. “The team will try to do something special for the country, inspire the Malaysian football scene and create good momentum for the upcoming tournaments.”
Vietnam currently hold the Southeast Asian record with a 12-match winning streak. Since a 1-2 friendly loss to Thailand in September 2024, Kim Sang-sik’s squad has gone undefeated in 16 matches, securing 14 victories.
The team also promise to be much stronger than they were in the first leg, welcoming back stars like Nguyen Xuan Son, Doan Van Hau, and Tran Dinh Trong, alongside newly naturalized player Hêndrio.
Cklamovski did not deny Vietnam’s immense strength in both form and squad depth, but he remains confident that Malaysia can play well and control the game.
“The recent training camp was in the highest quality. Everything is going as usual and nothing can bring us down. The team are putting their heart and soul into each training session to reach peak form for the match,” Cklamovski said.
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