Hanoi: Nguyen Anh Duc 's sixth minute strike secured Vietnam their second AFF Cup crown as they defeated Malaysia 1-0 in the second leg of the final at the My Dinh Stadium on Saturday to lift the regional crown 3-2 on aggregate.
Vietnam deserved to win but Malaysia gave the second leg of the final their all despite the odds being stacked against them after the first leg ended 2-2 on Tuesday.
Vietnam created problems for Malaysia early on as the visitors were made to chase shadows in the opening minutes and the Golden Dragons were rewarded for their aggression.
Park Hang-seo’s men took advantage of the gaps in the Malaysian defence when Nguyen Quang Hai picked out an unmarked Nguyen Anh Duc in the six-yard box who scrambled the ball home to the delight of the home crowd.
Malaysia almost equalised four minutes later when Mohamadou Sumareh’s backheel beat Vietnam custodian Dang Van Lam but missed the target.
Vietnam could have doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute but Do Hung Dung’s effort from outside the box was dealt by Malaysia goalkeeper Farizal Marlias.
A minute before half-time, Harimau Malaya saw their best effort of the night denied by a top-drawer save from Dang following Syahmi Safari’s strike from inside the penalty box.
Malaysia started the second half with purpose, as they chased the equaliser but Dang showed why Vietnam had the best defence in the tournament when he kept out Sumareh’s header from close range in the 50th minute, following a corner.
Tan Cheng Hoe’s men threw everything the had but Dang was at his best again to deny Safawi Rasid’s free-kick four minutes later as Vietnam continued to frustrate their opponents.
Malaysia continued to press but the goal remained elusive for Cheng Hoe’s side as Vietnam stayed cool under pressure to hold on for the win.
Up next for Vietnam, who have enjoyed a stellar year after emerging runners-up in the AFC U23 Championship 2018, is the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
Photos: AFP
Source: the-afc.com