Vietnam overcome Malaysia to secure semifinal berth in 2023 SEA Games men’s football
The outcome of the Group B match held at Prince Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia was decided as soon as Malaysia were left with only nine players on the field following two red cards. The referee awarded Vietnam a penalty when a Malaysia defender handled the ball with their arm inside the box. Although Nguyen Van Tung’s initial penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper Sikh Izhan, he was able to score on his second attempt, resulting in the opener for Vietnam. Following their concession, Malaysia were compelled to push forward in search of an equalizer, but they ended up seeing Van Tung complete his double and fourth goal at the 2023 SEA Games by heading in a cross from Vo Minh Trong on the left flank in the 32nd minute. Muhammad Aliff took advantage of Vietnamese goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan’s inability to catch the ball cleanly during a free kick and scored a goal in the 42nd minute to reduce Malaysia’s deficit. Vietnamese player Nguyen Van Tung celebrates his goal against Mala