Jakarta:Malaysia secured third place in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 after edging out Vietnam 1-0 in their third-place playoff at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, substitute Fergus Tierney was the hero for Harimau Malaya, scoring the decisive goal in the 62nd minute. This victory provided interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe's team with a winning conclusion to their tournament run.

Cheng Hoe made strategic changes to his starting lineup, resting key players such as Brad Tapp and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, while captain Dion Cools was absent due to urgent family matters. Despite Vietnam's dominant play in the first half, with numerous attempts that tested Malaysia's defense and goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi, Malaysia managed to keep the score level.

The most significant opportunity for Malaysia in the first half came when striker Bergson da Silva displayed impressive dribbling skills to beat a defender, only for his shot to be blocked by Vietnam's goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang. In response, Vietnam's Nguyen Hai Long had a free-kick saved by Ahmad Syihan, while Ngo Dang Khoa's long-range attempt narrowly missed the target.

After halftime, Vietnam continued to create chances, with Williams Minh Hoang's shot narrowly missing the mark. Malaysia responded swiftly with Bergson breaking through Vietnam's defense, yet his powerful strike went wide.

The breakthrough came when Tierney, having replaced Bergson, received a pass from Manuel Hidalgo, turned sharply, and scored past Le Giang. Malaysia's defense held firm, with Ahmad Syihan making crucial saves, including a stop against Le Pham Thanh Long's late effort.

This victory marked a positive end to Malaysia's tournament, as they narrowly missed the final due to goals scored, despite being tied with hosts Indonesia in points and goal difference. Additionally, this win ended Malaysia's long-standing winless streak against Vietnam, dating back to the 2014 AFF Cup semi-finals.