The AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 final is a chance for Vietnam’s and Malaysia’s football to come to the throne in Southeast Asia for the second time in their history, according the international media.
John Duerden, Asia correspondent of ESPN - a US-based sports television channel, warned Vietnamese fans should be careful despite their team’s easy win of 2-0 over Malaysia in the group stage.

Vietnamese
and Malaysian players (Photo VNA)
He explained
that Malaysia lost 1-5 to Indonesia in the opener of the 2010 tournament but
they beat the same rivals 4-2 on aggregate in the final to lift the trophy for
the first time.
Vietnamese players have plenty of techniques and ability under the lead of
Korean coach Park Hang-seo, hence, they become "harder to beat and more
pragmatic”, he wrote.
It is coach Park Hang-seo that inspires his students to win, Duerden wrote,
adding that Park’s philosophy in football is to win.
Malaysian coach Tan Cheng Hoe, who was an assistant when Malaysia won in 2010,
has the same philosophy.
"He has been around long enough to know that a coach won't be around long
without it in Southeast Asia - but he has injected new life into the Malaysian
team,” Duerden wrote.
The boss has a young team playing with aggression and ambitions, he added.
"Malaysia is certainly well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of
Vietnam as this is the second meeting between the two teams,” Duerden
wrote.
According to Semuanyabola – a football news website of Malaysia – provided
notable statistics ahead the final first-leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 in
Kuala Lumpur on December 11.
It said throughout 2018, Malaysia has never lost at the Bukit Jalil National
Stadium.
Coach Tan Cheng Hoe and his students will take this advantage to ensure a
comfortable outcome before the second-leg match in Hanoi on December 15.
In 11 encounters over the past 10 years, Vietnam has won six while Malaysia has
enjoyed victories three times with the last one at the AFF Cup 2014.
Malaysian players should be careful with the attacks from Vietnamese rivals,
Semuanyabola noted, describing it as a scary weapon of the "golden stars”.
Source: VNA
In recent years, Lac Thuy district has paid increasing attention to investing in cultural and sports infrastructure. These grassroots facilities have attracted a large number of residents to participate in recreational and cultural activities, physical training, and community engagement, contributing to the development of cultural life and the local socio-economic growth.
In recent years, the mass physical training and sports (PTS) movement in Hoa Binh province has developed strongly and spread widely. Regardless of age, gender or occupation, people actively participate in physical training, creating a vibrant and enthusiastic sports atmosphere within the community.
Recently, Hoa Binh’s athletes have continued to show strong performances at national-level competitions. Alongside elite athletes, several standout performers have emerged from grassroots sports movements, underlining the province’s growing sports culture.
From April 26 to 27, at the Provincial Sports Arena, the Hoa Binh Provincial Karate Federation organized the 2025 Hoa Binh Open ASUDO Karate Championship.
While modern sports like volleyball and football continue to grow in popularity, traditional folk games and ethnic sports remain a vibrant and essential part of cultural life among the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
A total of 85 young players from across Hoa Binh province recently participated in the provincial Youth Table Tennis Tournament. Organised by the provincial Centre for Youth Activities, the event was part of activities to celebrate the 94th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 – 2025) and the 79th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day (March 27, 1946 – 2025).