Determined to win
Compared to the opponents in Group C of the 2026 Asian Women's Cup, the Vietnamese women's team went to Australia latest, but the preparation work was still deployed methodically. Right after SEA Games 33, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team gathered in Hanoi and had more than a week of training in China.
Two friendly matches with the Chinese women's team helped the coaching staff clearly assess the strength and peak form of Huynh Nhu and her teammates before the continental tournament.
On the player's side, the desire to attend the World Cup is clearly shown through each action. They accepted to shorten the Tet holiday, only staying with their families for 2 days (New Year's Eve and the 1st day) before gathering again on the 2nd day of Tet. In which, goalkeeper Kim Thanh even put aside his family's private work to focus maximally with the national team.
According to records in Perth (Australia), in the general rehearsal before the tournament, the whole team maintained excitement, achieving a stable physical foundation. The methodical and thorough preparation in both expertise and fitness helped the players increase confidence, ready to head towards the opening match in the Asian Cup finals. Key striker Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy has fully recovered, qualified to play in the main squad.
“I and the whole team are ready and very eager to enter the tournament. This is the third time I have the opportunity to compete in the continental arena. I hope the audience will continue to pay attention and support the Vietnamese women's team in the upcoming journey,” Bich Thuy shared.
India loses key player
The coaching staff of the Vietnamese women's team also held a professional meeting, analyzed tapes, and analyzed the playing style of the Indian women's team. Accordingly, the opponent is suffering losses in force when key midfielder Anju Tamang is injured, missing the 2026 Women's Asian Cup finals. This player has made 69 appearances and scored 15 goals.
Without Tamang, India is placing its faith in some other faces such as striker Pyari Xaxa (18 goals after 39 matches), Grace Dangmei (23 goals after 92 matches) or Manisha Kalyan (14 goals after 48 matches). Among them, Manisha Kalyan is also 1 of 2 players playing abroad. She plays for Alianza Lima club in the Peruvian National Championship. Newcomer Aveka Singh is also playing for Naestved HG club in Denmark.
In terms of experience, India is "younger" than Vietnam at the 2026 Asian Cup. If coach Mai Duc Chung's students have the highest average age of the tournament (28.6 years old), India is rejuvenating personnel when nearly half of the squad is under 23 years old. In a continental tournament that requires class, bravery and experience, young Indian players may face many difficulties.
Also related to the experience factor, in contrast to coach Mai Duc Chung who has been with Vietnamese women's football for many years, strategist Amelia Valverde has only been attached to the Indian national team since January. Talking to domestic media, this coach admitted that this is a big challenge for India when setting a goal to compete for the 3rd place with the best results.
World Cup targets put great pressure on Ms. Valverde. This stems from the fact that India once had to withdraw from the 2023 Asian Cup held at home because of COVID-19, thereby missing the opportunity to win a ticket to the world arena.
The Indian women's team is predicted to face many challenges in the opening match against the Vietnamese women's team. In the opposite direction, coach Mai Duc Chung's team has more basis to aim for 3 points in the opening match of the tournament.
The match between the Vietnamese women's team and the Indian women's team at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup takes place at 6:00 PM on March 4.
At the press conference before the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed that the Vietnamese women's team has prepared carefully and is ready for the challenge in Group C.
He assessed that the groups are all very strong, and the teams are worthy of participating. Therefore, the Vietnamese women's team will focus maximally on each match, striving to best show what has been prepared. According to coach Mai Duc Chung, facing a strong opponent further motivates the whole team to be more determined.
