Malaysian newspaper commented when the home team ranked higher and had an advantage over U22 Vietnam

Defeating Laos, U22 Malaysia surpassed U22 Vietnam

In the match in Group B of the men's football SEA Games 33 on the afternoon of December 5 at Rajamangala Stadium, U22 Malaysia won 4-1 against U22 Laos. This result helped the "Tigers" surpass U22 Vietnam to lead Group B.

Malaysian newspaper commented when the home team ranked higher and had an advantage over U22 Vietnam - 1

U22 Malaysia won a big victory against U22 Laos (Photo: The Star).

Both teams have 3 points but U22 Malaysia is ranked higher due to better goal difference. That means, coach Nafuzi Zain's team only needs to win 1 point against U22 Vietnam in the final match to win the top spot and enter the semi-finals.

This is an undeniable advantage of U22 Malaysia. The press of this country also mentioned this. Makan Bola newspaper has an article: "U22 Malaysia surpasses U22 Vietnam on the rankings". In the article, the author emphasized: "U22 Malaysia entered the match with U22 Laos with the mission of winning and opening the way to the semi-finals.

This goal was completely completed by coach Nafuzi Zain and his team with a 4-1 victory, thanks to goals from Haykal Danish, Haqimi Azim, Moses Raj and Muhammad Abu Khalil.

The 4-1 victory over U22 Laos brought U22 Malaysia to the top of Group B with 3 points, while U22 Vietnam ranked second in the group despite having the same 3 points but with a lower goal difference than U22 Malaysia.

The final match of Group B between U22 Vietnam and U22 Malaysia on December 11 will decide the top spot in the group and the ticket to the semi-finals. U22 Malaysia is in the advantage as they only need a draw to complete the task.

Malaysian newspaper commented when the home team ranked higher and had an advantage over U22 Vietnam - 2

Malaysian newspaper confirmed that the home team has an advantage over U22 Vietnam (Photo: Anh Khoa).

The New Straits Times emphasized that the home team had an overwhelming victory over U22 Laos. They also said that coach Nafuzi Zain's team has an advantage in the race with U22 Vietnam.

Another newspaper, Bharian, headlined: “A big win over U22 Laos gives U22 Malaysia more spirit before the decisive match with U22 Vietnam”. The author wrote: “U22 Malaysia won a big win over U22 Laos with a score of 4-1. This result helped coach Nafuzi Zain’s team take the top spot in the group and sent a warning to U22 Vietnam before the decisive match on December 11”.

The newspaper also quoted coach Nafuzi Zain: “We all know that U22 Vietnam is a strong team, with many agile players with good individual skills. They also have a calm playing style. We need to try our best to beat them.”

Hmetro newspaper clearly stated the home team's goal: "Harimau Muda (the nickname of U22 Malaysia) is having a huge advantage in the race with U22 Vietnam. The two teams have the same 3 points but U22 Malaysia has a better goal difference.

Coach Nafuzi Zain and his team cannot ignore this advantage. As long as they do not lose in the match against U22 Vietnam, U22 Malaysia will win a ticket to the semi-finals."

Bernama commented: “Only the top three teams in each group and the best second-placed team will qualify for the semi-finals. U22 Malaysia has a clear advantage as they only need to get 1 point against U22 Vietnam to qualify for the next round.

U22 Malaysia failed to advance past the group stage at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, and in the tournament in Vietnam in 2021, the team finished 4th overall. The last time U22 Malaysia won the SEA Games Gold Medal was in 2011.

The decisive match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Malaysia takes place at 4:00 p.m. on December 11 at Rajamangala Stadium.

Malaysian newspaper commented when the home team ranked higher and had an advantage over U22 Vietnam - 3