On September 30, Thai Nguyen Sports Training and Competition Center, T&T Group held a ceremony to announce the head coach of Thai Nguyen T&T women's football club - coach Van Thi Thanh.
Speaking on the day of receiving her new assignment, coach Van Thi Thanh said: "After many years, I return to professional football with a new team and a new position.
When I become a head coach, I am not afraid of failure and can succeed. I will try to conquer the top tournaments in the near future with the coaching staff and players, first of all the International Four Nations Cup and the national championship.
Not only investing in the first team, I also want to develop Thai Nguyen's youth women's football. Without youth, there will be no first team."
Also at the event, Thai Nguyen T&T club introduced goalkeeper coach Dang Thi Kieu Trinh.
The presence of coach Van Thi Thanh and goalkeeper coach Kieu Trinh will contribute to enhancing the team's strength, continuing to compete for high positions in upcoming tournaments, aiming to conquer the national championship.
Coach Van Thi Thanh's first challenge in her new position is to lead Thai Nguyen T&T to participate in the Hanoi International Women's Football Tournament - T&T Group Cup 2024, taking place at Hang Day Stadium from October 3-7.
The tournament was organized by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports in coordination with the Hanoi Football Federation and other units, as part of a series of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2024).
The tournament has 4 participating teams: Manila Digger FC (Philippines), Beijing FC (China), Hanoi and Thai Nguyen T&T. In order to increase competitiveness, Thai Nguyen club borrowed 2 Vietnamese players, Tuyet Dung and Tran Thi Duyen (Phong Phu Ha Nam).
Van Thi Thanh is one of the famous names in Vietnamese women's football. The former player born in 1985 was selected to the Vietnamese women's team when she was only 17 years old. She was the one who scored the decisive goal to help the Vietnamese women's team win the gold medal at the 22nd SEA Games on home ground.
Van Thi Thanh received the Vietnam Golden Ball award in 2003, the Vietnam Silver Ball award in 2005 and was one of the 10 outstanding athletes of Vietnamese sports in 2003 and 2005.
After retiring, Van Thi Thanh pursued a coaching career and is currently the only female coach in Vietnam to have an AFC Pro certificate (AFC's highest certificate for professional coaches qualified to lead national teams).
