Before the decisive match (second-leg final), coach Kim Sang-sik's team held a significant advantage, having won 2-1 in the first leg at Viet Tri stadium on January 2. Therefore, in the second leg, with the home advantage and the fervent support of more than 40,000 spectators at Rajamangala, the intensity of the match was raised from the very first minute. Thailand relentlessly attacked, forcing the Vietnamese players to defend under pressure.
However, Vietnam was the first to score early on. Taking advantage of a defensive error from Thailand, Pham Tuan Hai capitalized on the opportunity and scored in the 8th minute, surprising the opposition.
Player Ben Davis seized a mistake from Vietnam's defense and fired a beautiful long shot from outside the penalty area to equalize at 1-1. But the real concern for Vietnam came in the 34th minute, when forward Xuan Son was injured during a cross and had to leave the game.
In the second half, both teams maintained their focus. Thailand advanced their formation and intensified their pressure. In the 64th minute, Supachok scored a goal to give Thailand a 2-1 lead.
However, just minutes later, Thailand’s Weerathep was shown a second yellow card for two fouls in quick succession, forcing him to leave the pitch.
Seven minutes later, from a shot by Tuan Hai, Pansa Hemviboon of Thailand inadvertently scored an own goal, leveling the score at 2-2.
Then, in the 90+19 minute, from a fast counterattack, Hai Long took a long shot into an empty net, securing the 3-2 victory for Vietnam.
In the end, Vietnam won 3-2 in the second-leg final, clinching the 2024 ASEAN Cup champions with an aggregate score of 5-3. This marked Vietnam’s third title in the regional tournament, following previous victories in 2008 and 2018.
Coach Kim Sang-sik also shared in the post-match press conference: "We played over 100 minutes under difficult conditions in a stadium with over 40,000 passionate fans. Thanks to the support of all the Vietnamese fans, we were able to win. I thank the players for not giving up and for fighting until the end to bring home this victory.
Vietnamese fans have supported the team throughout the journey to conquer the 2024 ASEAN Cup champions.
"This is just the beginning of what I will conquer with Vietnam. After this tournament, we will have the Asian Cup and SEA Games in 2025. The AFF Cup 2024 title is only the beginning!" Coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized.
Vietnam's Achievements in the 2024 AFF Cup
Vietnam set a record by winning 7 matches in the AFF Cup, the most by any team in a single tournament over 29 years, including Thailand. Vietnam finished the tournament with 7 wins, 1 draw, and no losses.
The team ended the tournament with 20 goals, the second-highest in AFF Cup history (21 goals in 2002). However, this is the first time two Vietnamese players (Xuan Son and Tien Linh) have scored four or more goals.
Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team achieved the highest goal difference (+14) in Vietnam’s AFF Cup history, with 20 goals scored and 6 conceded. The previous record was +13 from the previous edition. The overall tournament record is +16, set by Indonesia in 2004, though they did not win the championship.
Nguyen Xuan Son finished the tournament with 7 goals, becoming the first Vietnamese player to win both the "Top Scorer" and "Best Player" awards.
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