Vietnam's national football team secured a narrow victory against the Philippines in their opening match of Group B at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, held in Bandung, Indonesia, on September 26. Despite the win, several media outlets from Indonesia and Thailand have expressed skepticism about the team's performance, suggesting that the victory was not entirely convincing.

Indonesian news outlet Detik described Vietnam's win as 'lucky,' noting that the Philippines put up a strong fight with multiple threats to Vietnam's goal. The report mentioned that the Philippines almost equalized but had a goal disallowed by VAR technology.

Detik praised the Philippines, stating, 'The team coached by Carles Cuadrat played with a never-give-up spirit and fought until the last minute. With a bit of luck, the Philippines could have easily secured a point against Vietnam.'

Another Indonesian publication, Super Ball, acknowledged that VAR played a crucial role in Vietnam's narrow victory. They highlighted a moment in the first half when Randy Schneider's shot hit the crossbar, emphasizing that the Philippines performed confidently despite being considered the underdog. The report also noted that Vietnam's win was thanks to a pivotal moment from player Dinh Bac, but they were fortunate that the referee disallowed a late goal from the Philippines.

Further commentary from Bola, another Indonesian outlet, described Vietnam's performance as 'strenuous,' expressing surprise at how challenging the match was for the team. Thai outlet Kiran Buriram remarked that Vietnam failed to showcase much despite fielding several naturalized players, while Siam Sport concluded that Vietnam achieved their goal of securing three points, but their overall display left much to be desired.

Looking ahead, Vietnam will face Thailand in their next match on September 29 at 19:30 local time in Bandung.