Vietnam equal 10-match winning record against Southeast Asian opponents

This winning streak began following a 1-1 draw against the Philippines in the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

From there, Vietnam launched a dominant run, crushing Myanmar 5-0 on Dec. 21, 2024. They proceeded to sweep Singapore in the semifinals with 2-0 and 3-1 victories, before claiming the championship by defeating Thailand 2-1 and 3-2 in the two-legged final.

The team’s regional dominance continued as they secured a 2-1 friendly win over Cambodia and dispatched Laos with 5-0 and 2-0 victories. Their 3-0 victory over Malaysia in the Asian Cup qualifiers was awarded after the opponent was penalized for fielding ineligible naturalized players, overturning the original 0-4 defeat in June 2025.

Returning to the pitch at Thien Truong Stadium for another clash against Malaysia, Vietnam showcased their aerial prowess, scoring all three goals off headers to maintain their perfect record in the Asian Cup qualifiers with all six victories.

With this result, Vietnam officially equaled the record of 10 consecutive victories against Southeast Asian opponents, a milestone originally set by Myanmar between 1966 and 1968.

During their current 10-match streak against regional rivals, head coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad have scored 30 goals while conceding only six. Myanmar scored 24 and conceded two during their historic run.

Indonesia’s longest regional winning streak stands at nine matches, achieved between 1968 and 1969. Thailand’s best run was six consecutive wins in 1993.

When including opponents from outside the region, Kim’s squad have now won 13 consecutive matches across all competitions, a record for a Southeast Asian team, surpassing the previous nine consecutive wins shared by Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

The victory over Malaysia also marks the 17th time Vietnam have defeated this opponent at the national team level since rejoining international football in the early 1990s. Malaysia are now Vietnam’s most frequently defeated opponent, followed closely by Laos with 15 losses.

Furthermore, Vietnam achieved a milestone of 10 consecutive home victories. Their last time failing to win on home ground was a 1-1 friendly draw against India on Oct. 12, 2024.

Under the leadership of Kim, Vietnam have played 21 matches, recording 16 wins, two draws and three losses.

The victory on Tuesday boosted his win rate from 75% to 76 %. Among coaches who have led the Vietnam national team for three or more matches, Kim currently holds the highest win rate in history, outpacing the legendary Park Hang-seo’s 47 % win rate.

However, Kim has only faced six opponents outside of Southeast Asia during his tenure. Having qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup, the upcoming tournament will provide the South Korean coach with opportunities to test his squad against the continent’s top-tier teams.