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Vietnam vs Thailand: A trip down memory lane

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01 Jan 2025

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One of the major sporting rivalries in Southeast Asia, the Vietnam vs Thailand rivalry attracts widespread attention from the fans and media of both nations and that will be the case again for the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ Final this week.

Since the reunification of Vietnam, both nations have met on a number of occasions providing many memorable matches over the years.

ASEAN United FC looks at some of the best matches these two Southeast Asian nations have competed in before they take to the pitch again twice in the next few days.

The 1990s: Beginning of a rivalry

Twenty years after the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, both teams faced each other for the first time at the SEA Games 1995 in Chiang Mai. After a 3-1 win for Thailand in the group stage, they met again in the Gold Medal match and the outcome was no different with the Thais running out 4-0 victors, with two goals each from Totchtawan Sripan and Natipong Sritong-In.

In the inaugural edition of the ASEAN Championship in 1996, the two teams stood in each other’s way in the semi-finals and it was Natipong who did the damage again, netting another brace to help Thailand win 4-2 en route to their first title.

Two years later, as fate would have it they met again in the same stage and this time Vietnam got their revenge in front of 23,000 spectators in Hanoi with one of their greatest ever players Nguyen Hong Son on target in a comfortable 3-0 victory to knock out Thailand. 

The 2000s: Blow for blow 

The rivalry reached a whole new level in the 2000s with Vietnam vs Thailand being played out in several key matches, especially on the ASEAN Championship stage.

The first meeting since the turn of the millennium came in the 2002 semi-finals, with Thailand handing Vietnam a heavy 4-0 loss in Jakarta. And the saga of these two clashing in the semi-finals continued in 2007 when, despite a 0-0 draw in Bangkok, the War Elephants’ 2-0 win four days earlier at My Dinh National Stadium proved enough to take them through to the final again at the expense of Vietnam.

Then came the epic 2008 ASEAN Championship Final, when Vietnam and Thailand met in the summit clash for the first time. Thailand had the edge having beaten Vietnam 2-0 earlier in the group stage, but that didn’t deter the Vietnamese side who were desperate to get their hands on the trophy for the first time.

Nguyen Vu Phong and Le Cong Vinh stunned 50,000 fans at Rajamangala Stadium as Vietnam returned home with a 2-1 away win in the first leg. A 20-year-old Teerasil Dangda was having a breakout campaign and he netted in the 21st minute in Hanoi to level the score on aggregate.

In the dying embers of the match, star forward Le Cong Vinh netted the equaliser in the 94th minute to spark wild celebrations in what remains one of the most significant goals in Vietnamese football history. A 3-2 win on aggregate was achieved as thousands rejoiced on the streets to celebrate Vietnam’s first ASEAN Championship title.

Recent years: Tide in Thailand’s favour 

Key fixtures between Vietnam and Thailand returned as this time they took on each other during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. During the 2018 qualification campaign, Vietnam were no match for Thailand with Pokklaw Anan’s winner giving Thailand the win at home before they cruised to a 3-0 win in Hanoi with both Theerathon Bunmathan and Kroekrit Thaweekarn on the scoresheet.

Thailand progressed to the third round in 2018, while it was Vietnam who did so for the 2022 campaign, at the expense of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia but both matches against the Thais ended in a goalless draw. 

Meanwhile, this rivalry returned to the ASEAN Championship again much to the fanfare of Southeast Asian football lovers during the semi-finals of the 2020 edition, which was being played at a centralised hub in Singapore.

A Chanathip Songkrasin inspired Thailand overcame Vietnam 2-0 in the first leg, with Messi Jay’s two goals enough to see them progress to the final where they would take down Indonesia for their sixth title.

In the previous edition of the ASEAN Championship, both nations battled their way to the final with Vietnam’s most successful head coach of all time Park Hang-seo announcing that the 2022 edition final would be his last matches in charge before his departure.

And the Golden Star Warriors fought well, coming from behind for a share of the spoils in the first leg in Hanoi, courtesy of Vu Van Thanh’s bullet of a strike in the 88th minute of the contest.

It was their rivals Thailand again who would prove to be the party poopers as Theerathon’s magnificent strike from outside the box proved to be the difference in Pathum Thani as Alexandre Polking’s side won 3-2 on aggregate, overcoming Vietnam for their record-extending seventh title. 

The most recent meeting between these two nations took place in an international friendly in September 2024 in Hanoi, with Thailand winning 2-1 in enemy territory.

With two new head coaches on the touchline and some new faces on the pitch, a brand new chapter in this exciting rivalry will be written again on 2 January and 5 January as the champion of the 15th edition of the ASEAN Championship is set to be crowned. 

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