“It’s been a very long time, almost five years, since I last played against Vietnam. So it feels great to beat a Vietnam team that had been unbeaten for 27 games,” Chanathip said at a post-match press conference at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium.
“I’ve always followed the progress of the Vietnamese players and seen how much stronger they have become. Of course, I admire many of their players. In this game, we faced them and won. That is testament to the efforts of the whole team. I am very grateful to the coach, coaching staff and all my teammates who fought until the final second.”
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Chanathip Songkrasin speaks at a press conference after Thailand’s 2-0 victory over Vietnam at the FIFA ASEAN Cup Group B match in Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung, Indonesia, Sept. 29, 2026. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
Chanathip has been one of Thailand’s leading midfielders over the past decade. He spent several years playing in Japan with Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo from 2017 to 2021 and Kawasaki Frontale from 2022 to 2023, before returning to Thailand to join BG Pathum United.
His previous meeting with Vietnam was in the 2022 AFF Cup final. The teams drew 2-2 in the first leg in Vietnam before Thailand won 1-0 at home in the second leg.
Earlier, Chanathip scored twice as Thailand beat Vietnam 2-0 in the first leg of the 2020 AFF Cup semifinal, which was held in Singapore in late 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chanathip did not play for Thailand at the 2026 ASEAN Cup but attended games to encourage his teammates. Before the final last month, he said Vietnam “were not as good as they thought,” but Thailand eventually lost 4-2 on aggregate.
On Tuesday, Chanathip started as an attacking midfielder. Although he did not score or assist, he remained influential through his movement and pressure on Vietnam’s defense.
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Chanathip Songkrasin (18) blocks Nguyen Dinh Bac in Thailand’s 2-0 victory over Vietnam at the FIFA ASEAN Cup Group B match in Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung, Indonesia, Sept. 29, 2026. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
Thailand took the lead in the 10th minute through Sarach Yooyen’s long-range strike. They then defended compactly, recording 42% possession and nine shots compared with Vietnam’s 12. In the closing stages, Chaiyaphon Otton scored on a counterattack to seal the 2-0 victory.
“We trained very carefully on how to approach the game against Vietnam. Whether I score or assist is less important than the final result and beating a strong opponent like Vietnam. We even played at more than one hundred percent of our ability to get this victory,” Chanathip added.
Under the competition’s rules, head-to-head results are used as the tiebreaker after points. Therefore, Thailand are guaranteed to finish top of Group B and reach the final even though they still have one match against the Philippines.
Vietnam need a draw against Pakistan to finish second and secure a place in the third-place playoff, where they could face either Indonesia or Malaysia.