Coach and working mindset
One special thing about the Vietnamese women's national football team is that almost every success is associated with one person - coach Mai Duc Chung. He accompanied and led the women's team through many different stages. When women's football was still little noticed, when the team began to dominate the region, and then when they first won tickets to the World Cup. A journey lasting more than 2 decades.
In recent years, coach Mai Duc Chung has repeatedly asked for leave for age and health reasons. Each time, the Vietnam Football Federation persuades him to stay for a while longer. Both because the team still needs his experience and stability in tournaments, and waiting for time to find a replacement.
However, the story repeated several times, making experts unable to help but think. Not because he is not good, not dedicated, but on the contrary, the dedication he has to "children, grandchildren" becomes a problem. Love, pampering and familiarity in psychology make the players themselves unwilling to change.
This aspect, in fact, also occurs in men's football, when even professional football still needs "love, affection, softness", then "coaches must adapt to players", instead of "discipline", "players must adjust themselves, adapt to the new coaching style".
It is known that working with female athletes also has its own difficulties, but that does not mean that love and gentleness occupy a place in the development goals. Athletes from other countries are also women, also hardworking, suffering, facing psychological and physiological problems, but they themselves are proactive in separating the environment, not only their will but also training their bravery and professionalism in approaching the new.
Team rejuvenation
It was not until after the failure at the 2026 Asian Championship that phrases such as "generation gap", "transfer" or "team rejuvenation" appeared in the media. It has been around for a long time, especially after the 2023 World Cup. Coach Mai Duc Chung himself once said that the Vietnamese women's team needs to rejuvenate if they want to maintain competitiveness. That is not a theoretical assessment. He understands his team very well.
Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Le Thi Diem My, Tran Thi Thu Thao, Duong Thi Van, Thai Thi Thao, Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Huynh Nhu, Pham Hai Yen, Hoang Thi Loan, Nguyen Thi My Anh, Tran Thi Thu are all over 30 years old. In addition, Tran Thi Thuy Trang (37 years old) has switched to futsal, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (32) has retired, Chuong Thi Kieu and Nguyen Thi Van are also 30 and 29 years old respectively.
With such a long list, generational transition is mandatory, with Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha, Ngan Thi Van Su, Tran Thi Hai Linh (both 24 years old), Tran Thi Duyen, Cu Thi Huynh Nhu (25) being the leading birds.
According to expert Doan Minh Xuong, the successor generation of young players has too few talents, the quality is also normal, no one is outstanding, compared to the previous generation, it is still far behind. However, the squad for the 2026 Asian Championship includes Ngoc Minh Chuyen (21), Tran Nhat Lan (22). Furthermore, in the past year, coach Mai Duc Chung has also called up quite a few young players aged 18 to 23, which means that his successor can completely give them more opportunities right from the upcoming training camps.
Training program
In 2025, the Vietnam Football Federation continues to implement a long-term training program for national youth women's teams. In which, the U14 and U16 teams are considered an important foundation for building successor resources.
This training model is maintained in a continuous and systematic direction. Young players are focused, trained and compete regularly to accumulate experience. From that foundation, many players have matured and gradually affirmed their abilities. Bich Thuy, Thanh Nha or Vu Thi Hoa are clear examples of the effectiveness of this training process.
Representatives of the Vietnam Football Federation once emphasized that youth training is a decisive factor for the long-term development of women's football. According to the VFF's orientation, the construction of a successor force must be carried out continuously, instead of just focusing on the national team.
Such plans do not create immediate results. But in football, the long-term foundation is always the most important factor. One of the major goals of Vietnamese women's football in the coming time is to develop youth teams at the continental level.
The upcoming Vietnam U20 women's team will continue to participate in the Asian tournament with the further goal of winning the right to participate in the U20 World Cup. If that becomes a reality, Vietnamese women's football will have another generation of players who will experience the big playground very early.
Generations following each other is what any football background needs. The national team is just the tip of a solid iceberg combined by many factors.
