Vietnam lose 2–0 to Thailand at FIFA ASEAN Cup

Vietnam lost 2-0 to Thailand in Group B of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup in Bandung on September 29. Sarach Yooyen opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Tai Loc put the ball in the net before halftime, but a VAR offside check ruled out the goal.

Vietnam introduced Hoang Duc, Minh Hoang and Hoang Hen and pressed for an equalizer after the break. Chaiyaphon Otton added Thailand’s second in stoppage time. VFF said the defeat ended Vietnam’s chances of reaching the final because head-to-head results take precedence when teams are level on points.

What do the first two matches show?

KBVN+ compiled this table from VFF’s two match reports. It covers only Vietnam’s completed games. The goal difference is −1; this is not the full Group B table.

KBVN+ analysis: Against the Philippines, Vietnam scored first and defended their lead. Against Thailand, they fell behind in the tenth minute and increased their attacking personnel after the interval without scoring. The contrast makes one question relevant before Pakistan: can Vietnam find a route to goal when they are not protecting a lead? Two games are a small sample. Scores alone do not measure chance quality or replace xG data.

VFF’s match report cites the head-to-head tiebreaker when explaining why Vietnam can no longer reach the final. That is VFF’s explanation, not a conclusion drawn from the −1 goal difference above.

Pakistan next

Vietnam face Pakistan on 2 October. In its 30 September update, VFF said Gia Hưng had left for family reasons and that the medical team did not expect Lê Giang’s arm injury to prevent him playing. This does not confirm a starting lineup. VFF has already ruled Xuân Son out of the rest of the tournament.

Follow national-team fixtures and squad updates, the Pakistan schedule and viewing guide, the Philippines-match analysis and Kim Sang-sik’s post-match comments.