Malaysian Football Association: 'Vietnam beat Malaysia's U16 team'

On the evening of April 24th, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) attracted attention by claiming that the Malaysian U16 team had achieved a remarkable feat in the Southeast Asian U17 Championship final despite a heavy 0-3 defeat against Vietnam.

Message from the Football Association of Malaysia after the U17 Southeast Asian Championship final.

On its official media channel, FAM wrote: "Congratulations Malaysia! The Malaysian U16 team, under the guidance of coach Shukor Adan, finished as runners-up at the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship after losing 0-3 to Vietnam in the final match held at Gelora Delta, Sidoarjo (Indonesia)."

FAM's message quickly attracted attention, especially its emphasis on the fact that the team, which is just over a year younger, still progressed deep into the tournament and reached the final. This is seen as a major positive point for Malaysian football, demonstrating the potential of the next generation of players.

In the final match, the Malaysian U17 team faced significant difficulties under constant pressure from the Vietnamese U17 team and were unable to make a difference. The 0-3 defeat partly reflected the disparity in experience and composure, especially since their opponents possessed a more balanced and well-organized squad.

Although they couldn't win the championship, finishing as runners-up with the U16 team is still an encouraging achievement. FAM considers this an important foundation for the team's continued development in the future, aiming for long-term goals in regional and continental tournaments.

Conversely, the Vietnam U17 team deserved to be the champion of the tournament. Their 3-0 victory helped Vietnam U17 make history by becoming the team with the most regional championships (4 times), surpassing Australia and Thailand.

After the tournament, coach Cristiano Roland and his team will prepare for the U17 Asian Championship campaign with a match against Yemen in Saudi Arabia on May 7th.

Source: https://znews.vn/ldbd-malaysia-viet-nam-thang-lua-u16-malaysia-post1646295.html