Regional media outlets paid particular attention to Thailand’s two own goals, the “War Elephants’” missed opportunities and Viet Nam’s historic achievement of becoming the first team in the tournament’s history to successfully defend the title.
Viet Nam drew 2-2 with Thailand in the second leg of the final on the evening of August 26. Combined with their 2-0 victory at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium in the first leg, head coach Kim Sang Sik’s side secured a 4-2 aggregate win to claim their fourth ASEAN Cup title, following triumphs in 2008, 2018 and 2024.
More importantly, Viet Nam became the first team in the competition’s history to successfully retain the championship.
In Thailand, media outlets quickly reported the home side’s defeat. Rather than focusing solely on criticism, however, many articles highlighted the opportunities the “War Elephants” failed to convert.
Thairath said Thailand delivered a much-improved performance compared with the first leg and at one point had a chance to mount a comeback. Thailand opened the scoring in the 12th minute, reviving hopes after their 0-2 defeat in Bangkok.
A major turning point came early in the second half when Thailand were awarded a penalty, but Kakana Khamyok sent the ball over the crossbar. Viet Nam equalised just minutes later. Thailand regained the lead 2-1 late in the match, only for Wanchai to score an own goal in stoppage time, ending Thailand’s hopes of forcing extra time.
Khaosod therefore placed particular emphasis on Thailand’s two own goals, saying the unfortunate incidents contributed to Viet Nam securing their fourth ASEAN Cup title.
MGR Online focused on the outcome, confirming that Thailand finished as runners-up after failing to overturn their first-leg defeat.
In Indonesia, Viet Nam’s victory also received extensive coverage.
Detik Sport ran the headline “2026 AFF Cup Final: Viet Nam hold off Thailand to become champions!”, highlighting how Thailand mounted considerable pressure at times but failed to capitalise on their opportunities.
CNN Indonesia even featured the two own goals in its headline, describing them as among the decisive moments that helped Viet Nam retain the title.
Indonesian media also viewed Viet Nam’s triumph as further confirmation of the team’s standing in Southeast Asian football. Before the final, Bola.com had warned that Viet Nam and Thailand’s repeated appearances in the final showed the two sides continued to maintain their leading positions in the region.
The official media platform of ASEAN United FC also quickly confirmed that Viet Nam remained Southeast Asian champions following the 2-2 draw with Thailand.
It highlighted three key turning points: Yotsakorn Burapha’s opening goal, Kakana Khamyok’s missed penalty and Wanchai’s stoppage-time own goal.
From their 2-0 victory at Rajamangala to the 2-2 draw at My Dinh, Viet Nam defeated Thailand 4-2 on aggregate and kept the trophy in Ha Noi.
The achievement also attracted attention in the Republic of Korea, where media outlets showed particular interest in head coach Kim Sang Sik.
StarNews highlighted Viet Nam’s historic back-to-back ASEAN Cup titles, while News1 described the success as a continuation of the “Kim Sang Sik Magic”, likening the ASEAN Cup to the “World Cup of Southeast Asia”.
Naver Sports also used the phrase “Kim Sang Sik Magic” in its coverage of the final.
Yonhap News Agency stressed that the 49-year-old coach had guided Viet Nam to victory over Thailand and helped the team successfully defend the ASEAN Cup title for the first time.
The latest triumph also brought Kim Sang Sik’s tally of titles with Vietnamese football to four since he took charge in 2024: the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the ASEAN U23 Championship, the SEA Games and the 2026 ASEAN Cup.
