The opening matches of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round saw dominant performances from Southeast Asia’s top teams, as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines all secured victories on Tuesday. Malaysia defeated Nepal 2-0 in Johor Bahru, Thailand edged past Sri Lanka 1-0 in Bangkok, Vietnam cruised to a 5-0 win over Laos in Thu Dau Mot, and the Philippines overpowered the Maldives 4-1 in New Clark City.
Malaysia kicked off a new era under head coach Peter Cklamovski with a commanding 2-0 victory over Nepal in Group F at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru. Hector Hevel marked his international debut in style, opening the scoring in the 30th minute with a deflected strike from outside the box that wrong-footed goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu.
Malaysia dominated from the outset, with Endrick dos Santos going close with an early header and Arif Aiman narrowly missing the target. Nepal struggled to gain a foothold, and Malaysia doubled their lead in the 70th minute through a well-executed set-piece. Arif played a quick free-kick to Corbin Ong, who calmly slotted home to seal the win.
With this strong start, Malaysia will now turn their focus to a crucial home clash against Vietnam on June 10, while Nepal travels to face Laos on the same day.
Speaking about Vietnam, the Gold Star Warriors made an emphatic start to their Group F campaign, sweeping aside Laos 5-0 at Go Dau Stadium in Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong Province, as they set their sights on a third consecutive AFC Asian Cup appearance.
The hosts wasted little time asserting their dominance, breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute when Truong Tien Anh’s cross slipped past goalkeeper Kok Lokphatip, allowing Chau Ngoc Quang to tap in from close range. Vietnam continued to press but had to wait until just before halftime to extend their lead, with Nguyen Van Vi heading home after a failed Laos clearance.
Relentless after the break, Vietnam struck again within five minutes as Van Vi completed his brace with a composed finish. The home side remained in full control, adding further goals through Hai Long in the 63rd minute and Nguyen Quang Hai in the 84th to cap off a dominant performance.
At Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, a first-half strike from Patrik Gustavsson secured Thailand a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka in their Group D opener.
Thailand looked the more threatening side throughout, applying consistent pressure with their fluid attacking play. Their persistence paid off in the 43rd minute when Suphanat Mueanta set up Gustavsson, who calmly slotted home from close range.
Sri Lanka found themselves under sustained pressure in the second half but held firm, with goalkeeper Weerasinghe Sujan Perera making several crucial saves to keep the scoreline close.
With three points in the bag, Thailand now prepares for a showdown with Turkmenistan on June 10, while Sri Lanka looks to bounce back against Chinese Taipei.
Last but not least at New Clark Stadium in Capas, Tarlac Province, the Philippines kicked off their Group A campaign in style with a commanding 4-1 victory over Maldives, strengthening their bid for a second Asian Cup appearance following their 2019 debut.
Jefferson Tabinas set the tone early, opening the scoring in the sixth minute before Bjorna Kristensen doubled the lead in the 19th. Despite Maldives’ defensive resilience, they remained under constant pressure.
Ali Fasir pulled one back for the visitors in the 62nd minute, but any hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Randy Schneider restored the Philippines’ two-goal cushion in the 77th. Sandro Reyes then sealed the emphatic win in stoppage time.
Next up, the Philippines face Tajikistan, while Maldives take on Timor-Leste, with both matches set for June 10.