Thailand and Malaysia Secure Winning Starts in ASEAN Championship Openers

Heavyweights Thailand and Malaysia kicked off their 2026 ASEAN Championship campaigns with crucial victories, setting an intense pace in the region's premier football tournament.

Thailand Outclass Laos in Five-Goal Blitz
Seven-time champions Thailand delivered a masterclass performance, dismantling Laos 5-0 to temporarily sit atop the group standings.
Early Breakaway: Forward Teerasak opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 11th minute.
Midfield Dominance: Kakana doubled the lead, followed by a clinical strike from Yotsakon.
Red Card Blow: Laos' defensive hopes collapsed just before halftime when a defender received a straight red card.
Final Blows: Kakana secured his brace in the second half before veteran captain Sarach sealed the 5-0 rout.

Malaysia Mount Dramatic Comeback Against Myanmar
Malaysia showed incredible resilience on the road, fighting back from a goal down to edge past Myanmar 2-1 in a tense encounter in Yangon.
Early Shock: Myanmar stunned the visitors by netting the opening goal in the 10th minute.
Josue's Heroics: Brazilian-born naturalized forward Paulo Josue turned the tide early in the second half.
Quickfire Brace: Josue equalized in the 52nd minute and converted a decisive penalty in the 57th minute to seal the 2-1 win.