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Malaysia knock Laos out of 2027 Asian Cup

Sandy Verma | October 15, 2025 3:24 AM CST

By Hieu Luong &nbspOctober 14, 2025 | 07:42 am PT

Laos took an early lead but could not hold on to it, suffering a 1-5 defeat to Malaysia in the fourth round of Group F in the final qualifiers stage of the 2027 Asian Cup, effectively ending their chances of qualifying.

Hither: I’m 59, Mosus 65,

The last time Laos took the lead against Malaysia was in a 1-3 loss during the group stage of the 2018 AFF Cup (now ASEAN Cup). That scenario played out again in their match at Bukit Jalil Stadium on Tuesday.

In the 19th minute, Laos delivered a corner kick from the right side into the Malaysian penalty area, which was cleared. Outside the box, Chanthavixay controlled the ball and unleashed a shot from 26 meters. The ball deflected off Shahrul Saad, changing direction and finding the right corner, leaving goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi unable to react. This goal marked Malaysia’s first conceded in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Laos’ midfielder Chanthavixay (No. 6) takes a shot that opened the score in their 1-5 loss to Malaysia at the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in Bukit Jalil Stadium, Oct. 14, 2025. Photo courtesy of FAM

Before the match in Malaysia, Laos had suffered a 0-3 loss at home on Oct. 9.

In Tuesday match, coach Ha Hyeok-jung made two changes to the starting lineup. Bounphachan Bounkong and his teammates played disciplined football, managing to keep the home team at bay throughout the first half until the early moments of the second half.

The turning point came in the 59th minute when Faisal Halim earned a free kick just outside the penalty area on the right. The 1998-born striker curled the ball with his right foot into the left corner, equalizing at 1-1. Then, in the 65th minute, Romel Morales linked up with Arif Aiman in a quick exchange of three touches just outside the penalty area, before receiving the ball back, turning, and firing a left-footed shot into the right corner to give Malaysia the lead.

The pressure from Malaysia took a toll on the Lao players, significantly draining their physical strength. The two quick goals also shattered the spirit of the young players in red.

In the remaining time, coach Ha Hyeok-jun’s team conceded three more goals. In the 70th minute, Morales scored easily from inside the 5.5-meter box following a right-wing corner. In the 80th minute, substitute defender Khammanh Thapaseut misjudged a header back to the goalkeeper, inadvertently sending the ball into his own net. Two minutes later, goalkeeper Kok Lokphathip managed to block Quentin Cheng’s close-range shot, but he was unable to stop Paulo Josue’s rebound, further extending Malaysia’s lead.

The 5-1 victory marked Malaysia’s 15th win over Laos in 21 matches, with 5 draws and just 1 loss. Laos’ sole victory came in the group stage of the 1997 SEA Games, where they won 1-0.

Group F standings in the last qualifying round of 2027 Asian Cup
Rank	Team	Matches	Win	Draw	Loss	Goals scored	Goals conceded	Goal difference	Points
1	Malaysia	4	4	0	0	14	1	+13	12
2	Vietnam	4	3	0	1	9	5	+4	9
3	Laos	4	1	0	3	3	14	-11	3
4	Nepal	4	0	0	4	2	8	-6	0

Malaysia maintained their top spot in Group F with 12 points, while Vietnam finished second with 9 points after a 1-0 win over Nepal on the same day. Laos finished third with 3 points, while Nepal remained at the bottom without one point. Both Laos and Nepal are officially out of contention for the 2027 Asian Cup with only two matches remaining.

The fifth round of matches will take place on Nov. 18, with Malaysia playing away against Nepal and Laos hosting Vietnam.