In their three knockout-stage encounters at the ASEAN Cup, Vietnam claimed victory in one final to claim the 2018 title, but Malaysia eliminated the Golden Star Warriors in both previous semifinal matchups in 2010 and 2014.
Overall, Vietnam boast a superior record against their regional rivals with nine wins, three draws and only three losses in 15 ASEAN Cup meetings. They have also scored 22 goals while conceding 15.
However, one haunting fact is that two of those three defeats occurred specifically in the crucial semifinals.
The teams first clashed in the semifinals of the 2010 edition. Vietnam played the first leg away in Kuala Lumpur and suffered a 0-2 defeat. Safee Sali emerged as the hero for the hosts, scoring a brace in the second half. Four days later at My Dinh Stadium, Vietnam failed to score, resulting in a 0-0 draw that saw Malaysia advance 2-0 on aggregate. Malaysia later claimed their first-ever title by defeating Indonesia in the final.
In 2014, the rivals met in the semifinals once again. The first leg unfolded favorably for Vietnam at Shah Alam Stadium, as the guests secured a 2-1 away win.
However, the return leg at My Dinh was a nightmare. Malaysia scored four goals in the first half, including two in the first 16 minutes. Vietnam lost 2-4 on the night, leading to a 4-5 aggregate defeat.
Vietnam found knockout success against Malaysia in the 2018 final. After a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Vietnam had a 1-0 win in the second leg in My Dinh, triumphing 3-2 on aggregate to claim their first title in a decade.
Besides their three encounters in the semifinals and final, Vietnam and Malaysia also faced each other twice in the third-place playoff. Malaysia won 3-0 in 2000, while Vietnam won 2-1 in 2002.
Vietnam have also dominated Malaysia in the group stages, securing convincing victories in 2020 (3-0), 2022 (3-0) and 2018 (2-0).
Following the 2026 ASEAN Cup group stage, Vietnam topped Group A with 10 points. Coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad secured three wins and a draw, scoring 13 goals while conceding just one. They opened with a resounding 7-0 thrashing of Timor-Leste, drew 0-0 with Singapore, and then secured a dominant 3-0 win against Indonesia and a 3-1 victory over Cambodia.
Malaysia finished second in Group B with nine points. They defeated Myanmar (2-1) and Laos (4-0), suffered a 0-2 loss to Thailand, and advanced by edging the Philippines 1-0 in the final group match.
Malaysia will host Vietnam in the first leg of the semifinals at Kuala Lumpur Stadium on Aug. 16. The return leg is scheduled for Aug. 19 at My Dinh Stadium, marking the third time the two teams will battle for a spot in the ASEAN Cup final.