Indonesian media points out the two teams that will reach the ASEAN Cup final after the host nation was eliminated

CNN Indonesia believes that the possibility of Thailand and Vietnam facing each other in the 2026 AFF Cup final has grown significantly now that Indonesia is out.

The Indonesian newspaper praised Thailand's performance in the group stage: "Thailand had the most perfect group stage record, winning all four matches in Group B. The strength of the 'War Elephants' was also shown by their clean sheet. This result helped Thailand top Group B with 12 points."

The same newspaper also mentioned Malaysia under coach Tan Cheng Hoe: "Malaysia finished second with 9 points, earned from three wins and one loss. Their only defeat was against Thailand, with a score of 0-2."

Later, the Indonesian outlet mentioned Vietnam and other teams in the same group: "In Group A, Vietnam topped the group with 10 points, while Singapore came second with 8 points. Singapore advanced to the semifinals along with Vietnam after holding Indonesia to a 1-1 draw at Jalan Besar Stadium. This result left Indonesia with only 7 points and eliminated."

CNN Indonesia wrote about their national team's exit in the group stage: "Indonesia, considered one of the championship contenders, had to face a harsh reality. The 'Garuda' team could not even make it past the group stage despite having many naturalized players."

"In recent years, Indonesia's strength has increased significantly thanks to the naturalization program. Indonesia also set a record by becoming the only Southeast Asian team to reach the fourth round of World Cup 2026 qualifiers. However, Indonesia's impressive performance in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers could not be sustained in the ASEAN arena. The team was surprisingly eliminated in the group stage."

The Indonesian newspaper predicted that the absence of the archipelago team from the semifinals would open the possibility of a final between Vietnam and Thailand: "Without underestimating Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia's absence effectively opens the door for a dream final between Thailand and Vietnam. The reason is that Malaysia and Singapore are still rated lower than the two top Southeast Asian teams, Thailand and Vietnam."

"In the semifinals, Thailand is expected to have little trouble against Singapore, while Vietnam will face Malaysia. Theoretically, Thailand and Vietnam are rated higher and have a better chance of winning in the two-legged semifinals. Therefore, the possibility of the two teams meeting in the final is wide open after Indonesia's elimination," CNN Indonesia emphasized.