Vietnam set to surpass Malaysia in AFC Club Rankings

The nation was ranked as the 17th best team in Asia in the latest rankings released on August 14. The coefficient is based on the total number of points that clubs from various AFC members have gained at tournaments  over the course of the last four seasons.

At present, the country has earned 9,362 points since the start of the year, while Malaysia have won 4,450 points.

In terms of the total points earned over a four season period, Malaysia sit 217 points higher than Vietnam, although this figure will change in the latest update.

In Southeast Asia, the country are still ranked behind Thailand, who have 37,300 points, and the Philippines 23,412 points.

As for East Asia, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea are among the leading countries in the rankings.

If Vietnam are able to climb to sixth in East Asia, the country will earn a place for one of its teams in the group stages of the AFC Champions League next year.

Hanoi FC’s next fixture in a continental competition will be against Altyn Asyr FK FC of Turkmenistan in the second leg of the tie at 19:00 on August 27.

Fox Sport Asia noted on their website that although their progress to the Inter-Zone Final is far from settled, Hanoi FC’s win is a positive sign for the nation when it comes to the AFC Club Competitions Ranking.

This is due to the country rising above fellow ASEAN nation Malaysia in the next update.

According to FootyRankings, a victory for Hanoi will mean that the Vietnam will rise to 16th place in Asia, displacing Malaysia in the process.