The Vietnamese team prepares for the semi-final second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026

On the afternoon of August 18, the team practiced at My Dinh Stadium, to prepare the final stages for the semi-final second leg with Malaysia.

Thanks to a 2-0 victory at Kuala Lumpur in the first leg, Vietnam holds many advantages, even reaching the final despite losing by a goal difference in the second leg tomorrow.

The 28-year-old defender trains privately with doctor Tran Huy Tho.

Van Vi is one of the top left-backs in Vietnam in recent years. Thanks to his advantage in speed and ability to accurately cross the ball, he always occupies a starting position in the Nam Dinh team and club.

At ASEAN Cup 2026, the Ninh Binh player has played in all past matches. Particularly in the semi-finals, he was replaced in the 90th minute.

If Van Vi cannot play, coach Kim Sang-sik can give the opportunity to Doan Van Hau (No. 5) or Nguyen Nhat Minh.

Van Hau used to be the team's number one left back, a member of the 2018 AFF Cup (now ASEAN Cup) championship squad. However, he later missed many important tournaments due to injury, and only returned to the team in March.

Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai (No. 19) is not at his best in this year's tournament, but always receives respect from his teammates.

According to striker Nguyen Dinh Bac (right), the senior does not deserve to receive criticism from fans. "Quang Hai is still a big player with great influence on the team. Hopefully in the coming matches, we will see more goals from Quang Hai," Dinh Bac said.

In the first leg against Malaysia, after coming on as a substitute, Quang Hai made a pass aimed at Dinh Bac's position, causing defender Faris Danish to frantically score an own goal to help Vietnam set the score 2-0.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is facing the opportunity to enter the ASEAN Cup final for the second time in a row - something that no coach has ever done before in the Vietnamese team.

The team under Mr. Kim has also gone through 23 consecutive matches without losing since October 2024, including 20 wins and three draws. This is the longest unbeaten streak in the history of the Vietnamese team, surpassing the old record of 18 matches.