Vietnam routs Brunei; Malaysia, Myanmar draw to open SEA Games football

Shamsudin Hakim (R) of Malaysia fights for the ball with Ye Yint Aung of Myanmar (R) during the first round Group A football match between Myanmar and Malaysia at the 2019 SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila on November 25, 2019. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

Vietnam cruised to an emphatic 6-0 victory over Brunei, even as Malaysia and Myanmar battled to a 1-1 draw last Monday at the start of the 30th Southeast Asian Games men’s football competition. 

Striker Ha Duc Chinh fired four goals as the Vietnamese rolled to maximum points at the start of Group B play at Binan Football Stadium in Laguna. Trieu Viet Hung and Nguen Trong Hung were also on the scoresheet as Vietnam imposed its class on a Brunei side that trailed just 0-2 at halftime. 

Over at Rizal Memorial Stadium, 2017 SEA Games silver medalist Malaysia was left to rue a golden opportunity to take the early lead in Group A after it was pegged back by a Myanmar side that came out strong to start the match. 

Soe Moe Kyaw headed home the opener in the 13th minute off a corner delivered by captain Hlaing Bo Bo. 

But Malaysia, which lost to Thailand in the finals of the 2017 tournament in Kuala Lumpur, equalized 11 minutes later through Hadi Fayyadh, who nodded home a cross from the left from Abdul Rashid Akhyar. 

Host Philippines was slated to play Cambodia in the evening match in Group A.