Malaysia Futsal defeated Vietnam in a dramatic penalty shootout.

The third-place match of the AFF Futsal Championship ended in an unbelievable scenario as Malaysia staged a spectacular comeback against Vietnam. Despite trailing for most of the game, the yellow and black players brought the match back to a tie in the final seconds before defeating their opponents in a tense penalty shootout.

A breathtaking chase in the final two minutes.

After relentless attacking efforts, drama erupted at the end of the second half. Malaysia showed their never-give-up spirit by scoring two consecutive goals through Iqbal Hazim in the 39th minute and Aidil Zakwan in the 40th minute. The 2-2 draw forced the two teams into a penalty shootout.

From the penalty spot, the Malaysian U19 futsal team showed more composure to win the match 4-3. This is the second consecutive bronze medal that Thai coach Rakphol Sainetngam has brought to Malaysian futsal in just two weeks, following a similar achievement at the SEA Games in Bangkok.

The mark of Rakphol Sainetngam

Speaking after the match, coach Rakphol expressed his pride in his young players: "I told the players that there's no time to be sad or apologize after the semi-final defeat. We must be proud of what we have achieved, especially considering our limited preparation and the physical difference compared to our stronger opponents in the region."

The skillful touch of the Thai strategist is breathing new life into Malaysian futsal, helping the team gradually close the gap with regional powerhouses like Vietnam and Indonesia.

Thailand asserts its position as the monarchy.

In the subsequent final match, the Thai futsal team defeated Indonesia 3-1 to officially claim the championship title. This is a highly significant achievement, helping to alleviate the pain after a completely unsuccessful SEA Games on home soil, where Thai football came away empty-handed in all four events: men's, women's, and futsal.

Meanwhile, Indonesian football ended 2025 with mixed emotions. Despite progress in the World Cup qualifiers, they disappointed by being eliminated early at the SEA Games despite being the defending champions, and now suffered a defeat in the regional futsal final.