Ranking 37th in the world rankings helps the Vietnamese women's team be seeded No. 2 by the AFC along with South Korea and China in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, instead of No. 3 as in the previous tournament. This helps coach Mai Duc Chung and his team avoid falling into the death group in Australia, when they are in a fairly favorable group C with Japan, India and Taiwan. India - the host of the 2022 Asian Cup has made significant progress by eliminating Thailand, while Taiwan had reached the play-off match in 2022, before witnessing the Vietnamese women's team win a historic ticket to the 2023 World Cup. Looking at the strength and experience of the "diamond girls", football expert Doan Minh Xuong still highly appreciates the opportunity for the Vietnamese women's team to return to the World Cup.
Vietnam women's team determined to attend World Cup 2027 in Brazil
Photo: Minh Tu
In the 2026 Asian Cup, the 6 teams ranked first and second in the 3 groups will join the 2 third-placed teams with the best records in the quarter-finals. The 4 semi-finalists will participate in the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, while the 4 losing teams in the quarter-finals will play 2 knockout matches: the 2 winning teams will go to the World Cup, the 2 losing teams will compete for 2 intercontinental play-off spots. Expert Doan Minh Xuong commented: "The primary goal of the Vietnamese women's team is to be present in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Asian Cup, as the second-placed or third-placed team because Japan is too strong. Having reached the quarter-finals, the opportunity for coach Mai Duc Chung and his team to compete for a ticket to the 2027 World Cup is still open. If they lose in the quarter-finals, they will play in the play-in round, and then there will be an intercontinental play-off match. I believe that with their strength and experience, the Vietnamese women's team will complete the first goal, to be in the top 8 strongest teams in the continent, before aiming for the 5th or 6th World Cup ticket in the play-in round."
Vietnam women's team with mixed personnel
The Vietnamese women's team has qualified for the 2026 Asian Cup with 3 wins against the UAE, Guam and Maldives. Familiar names such as Huynh Nhu, Bich Thuy, Hai Yen, Chuong Thi Kieu... still maintain their form. The next generation with Thanh Nha, Van Su, Hai Linh, Truc Huong, Le Thi Thu Thuong... are gradually creating space to show their abilities. Names in their twenties such as Ngoc Minh Chuyen, Vu Thi Hoa (21 years old) are also starting to step into the light. The Vietnamese women's team is showing stability when ensuring the bravery of a team of experienced female warriors, while also transitioning to the future after the 2027 World Cup. Coach Mai Duc Chung himself was very satisfied when his students responded effectively to tall opponents with triangular combinations and smooth attacks on both flanks.
Mr. Doan Minh Xuong commented: "The Vietnamese women's team is gradually completing the transition process, aiming to transfer responsibility and expect more from new factors. We are gradually completing the generational transition, with a transition period of 1-2 years. But that is a long-term and medium-term matter, and at this time, coach Mai Duc Chung will focus on the preparation process for the Asian Cup taking place in March 2026, with the key being to have the best results against India and Taiwan."
From July 30, the Vietnamese women's team will be in Hai Phong to prepare for the 2025 Southeast Asian Championship, which will take place from August 6 to 19, where we will be the host. This will be an opportunity for coach Mai Duc Chung and his team to reclaim the title from the Philippines. By the end of this year, we will still aim for the 5th consecutive gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-va-hanh-trinh-tro-lai-world-cup-185250730224951144.htm
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