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Before Monday's match at Pakansari Stadium, Indonesia's biggest home defeats in the tournament, previously known as Tiger Cup and AFF Cup, had come by two-goal margins: a 3-1 loss to Singapore in the first leg of the 2004 final and a 2-0 group-stage defeat to the same opponent in 2008.
Vietnam's victory set a new unwanted record for the hosts in the tournament's three-decade history.
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| Nguyen Hai Long reacts after scoring Vietnam's second goal in their 3-0 victory over Indonesia at the 2026 ASEAN Cup in Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, Indonesia, Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong |
It was also the first time Vietnam had beaten Indonesia by three goals on Indonesian soil. Since the teams first met in 1991, Vietnam had won only once away to Indonesia—a 3-1 victory in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier in 2019. In the nine away matches preceding Monday's game, Vietnam had recorded one win, five draws and three defeats.
The result also shifted the balance of the teams' rivalry in the Southeast Asian championship. Before kickoff, Vietnam and Indonesia had met 13 times in the competition, with each side winning three matches and seven ending in draws. Vietnam's previous victories came in the 1996 Tiger Cup (3-2), the 2022 AFF Cup semifinals (2-0), and the 2024 ASEAN Cup group stage (1-0).
Monday's 3-0 triumph was Vietnam's biggest-ever win over Indonesia in the regional tournament and gave the team the overall head-to-head advantage.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's side effectively settled the contest in the first 15 minutes. Defender Nguyen Van Vi opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Nguyen Hai Long doubled the lead in the 15th after another well-worked move.
2026 ASEAN Cup Group A: Indonesia 0-3 Vietnam
It was the first time Vietnam had scored twice in the opening 15 minutes of an ASEAN Cup match since the 1996 Tiger Cup, when Nguyen Huu Dang and Le Huynh Duc helped the team race into a 2-0 lead against Myanmar.
The fast start was particularly notable given Indonesia's record in the competition. The hosts had conceded two goals inside the opening 15 minutes only once before—in a 3-3 draw with Laos at the 2024 ASEAN Cup, when they recovered to salvage a point. Against Vietnam, however, they never found a way back.
The victory owed much to Kim's bold team selection. Despite criticism following Vietnam's goalless draw with Singapore three days earlier, the South Korean coach left several regular starters—including Nguyen Xuan Son, Do Hoang Hen, Nguyen Quang Hai and Doan Van Hau—on the bench, handing starts to Nguyen Hai Long, Le Pham Thanh Long, Nguyen Tai Loc and Bui Hoang Viet Anh.
The changes proved decisive. Thanh Long set up Hai Long for Vietnam's second goal, while Hai Long played a key role in both of the team's early strikes. At the other end, Viet Anh impressed in his first start of the tournament, winning a series of duels against Indonesia's 1.96-meter striker Mitchell Baker, who entered the match as the tournament's leading scorer with four goals.
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| Nguyen Hoang Duc (14) controls the ball in Vietnam's 3-0 victory over Indonesia at the 2026 ASEAN Cup in Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, Indonesia, Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong |
