Vietnam vs Philippines: a new tournament begins with another meeting between familiar rivals
Vietnam
Philippines
On September 26, the group stage of the first-ever FIFA ASEAN Cup will get underway with a Vietnam–Indonesia showdown. Vietnam will face the Philippines at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:30 local time. Both teams have been drawn into Group B of the first division, alongside Thailand and Pakistan.
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For Vietnam, the tournament begins immediately after a highly successful ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign. Kim Sang-sik's team won the region's premier trophy, and expectations are now high for more of the same. FIFA ASEAN Cup has a slightly different status: the matches are included in the official international calendar, but in terms of ranking points, they are treated as friendlies. For the coach, it is an excellent opportunity to assess the squad's depth while keeping the team match-fit.
Kim Sang-sik has already finalized a 23-man squad. Most of the championship-winning team has been retained, but there are also some new faces. Particular attention should be paid to Adou Leigly Minh and Williams Minh Hoang — both have Vietnamese roots and have been given the chance to make their mark at this level for the first time. At the same time, several well-known players will be missing from the squad. Among them are Doan Van Hau, Dang Van Lam and Filip Nguyen.
The Philippines approach the match in a completely different mood. Head coach Carles Cuadrat has retained nine players who featured in the last ASEAN Cup, but the squad is highly international. Only one player in the group plays domestically — defender Daisuke Sato. Eight players represent European clubs, while two more ply their trade in the United States.
The Philippines' defense looks particularly intriguing. It includes Paul Tabinas of Dinamo Zagreb, his brother Jefferson Tabinas, as well as young players Isaiah Alakieu of Brighton's U21 team and Angelo Bruckner of German club Bayreuth. In attack, Andre Leipold, Sebastian Rasmussen and Bjorn Christensen stand out. In other words, Vietnam's opponents clearly have no intention of simply sitting deep.
There is also an interesting detail from the teams' head-to-head history. At one point, the Philippines beat Vietnam twice in a row — 2-0 in 2010 and 1-0 in 2012. After that, Vietnam established complete dominance: seven wins and one draw. Their most recent meeting, at the 2024 ASEAN Cup, ended in a 1-1 draw.
The main challenge for both teams is the congested schedule. Vietnam will face Thailand as early as September 29, while the Philippines will take on Pakistan. That makes the opening match especially important: it offers not only the chance to collect points, but also to gain a psychological edge before the decisive group fixtures.
Vietnam will surely look to take control of possession and dictate the game from the opening whistle, while the Philippines may rely on physicality, quick transitions and the individual quality of their overseas-based players. All in all, this promises to be a fascinating test: the Southeast Asian champions against a team capable of springing a surprise thanks to its wealth of players from foreign leagues.
My prediction: Vietnam to win.
