KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — Thailand’s skipper Chanathip Songkrasin produced a heroic performance as he scored a brace to help the five-time winners beat defending champions Vietnam 2-0 in the first-leg semifinal of the 2020 AFF Cup tonight.

In the match at the Singapore National Stadium, Vietnam conceded their first goal of the tournament as Chanathip capitalised on Nguyen Phong Hong Duy’s slip after a blistering counter attack in the 13th minute.

Chanathip then calmly slotted in his second goal by placing the ball low in the left bottom corner, thanks to a wonderfully crafted one-touch play with midfielder Sarach Yooyen and striker Teerasil Dangda 10 minutes later.

Nguyen Quang Hai nearly reduced the deficit for The Golden Dragons in the 33rd minute but his curling free kick struck Thailand’s right goal post.

Chanathip, who plays for Japanese-based club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, almost bagged his hattrick after the interval but his right-footed effort from outside the box went high in the 57th minute.

Vietnam, who appeared desperate in the second half, almost scored in the 67th minute but Quang Hai’s dipping shot hit the crossbar.

Chanathip also had his penalty kick saved by Tran Nguyen Manh in the 85th minute and the score line remained at that until referee Saoud Al-Abda blew the final whistle.

Yesterday, hosts Singapore were held to a 1-1 draw against Indonesia in the other semifinal fixture at the same venue.

The second-leg semifinal involving Indonesia and Singapore will be played on Saturday while the return leg of Thailand versus Vietnam will be held a day later. — Bernama