Malaysia U17 National Team endured a difficult start to their campaign in the ASEAN U17 Championship 2026 after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Vietnam U17 National Team in their Group A opener at Gelora Joko Samudro Stadium, Gresik.
The young Malaysia, coached by Shukor Adan, had hoped to begin the tournament on a positive note. However, they were outplayed by a confident Vietnamese side widely regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s strongest youth teams and a recent qualifier for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026.
Malaysia entered the match with Adam Muqri Muhaizam leading the side as captain, while Vietnam’s attack was spearheaded by Le Trong Dai Nhan.
Vietnam wasted little time asserting control, pressing aggressively in the opening stages. Their breakthrough came in the 12th minute when Le Sy Bach found space in the box and calmly slotted the ball past Malaysian goalkeeper Adam Nurfakrullah Mohd Fadli.
The same player doubled Vietnam’s advantage in the 28th minute, finishing clinically once again to put Malaysia under heavy pressure.
Vietnam extended their lead further before halftime when Nguyen Van Duong struck in the 38th minute, giving the Vietnamese side a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
Malaysia attempted to reorganise after the interval, looking to tighten their defence and slow Vietnam’s attacking momentum.
However, the Vietnamese continued to dominate proceedings, adding a fourth goal in the 56th minute through Nguyen Manh Cuong, effectively sealing the result.
Despite Malaysia’s efforts to reduce the deficit in the closing stages, Vietnam remained solid defensively to preserve the 4-0 victory.
The result places Vietnam at the top of Group A with three points, although the standings could shift depending on the outcome of the match between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Malaysia will now look to bounce back in their next Group A encounter against hosts Indonesia on 16 April, a crucial match that could determine their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
Credit Photo : FAM
