The Taichung Blue Whale football club from Chinese Taipei has brought a squad featuring several student players to Vietnam to compete in the 2024/2025 AFC Women’s Champions League.
The group stage of this prestigious tournament is set to kick off tomorrow, October 6, at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City. Group C will see teams from Ho Chi Minh City FC, Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Taichung Blue Whale (Chinese Taipei), and Odisha (India) vying for a spot in the next round.
The tournament features 12 participating teams, divided into three groups. Teams will play in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams advancing to the quarterfinals. From there, teams will compete for a place in the semifinals and finals.
Ahead of the competition, Taichung Blue Whale head coach Lu Kuei-hua revealed that her team includes a number of student-athletes. “Aside from my work as a coach, I am also a physical education professor at a university. One of the Japanese foreign players I’ve registered, Maho Tanaka, is a student at the university. I noticed her strong technical skills and playing style, which fits well with our team,” said coach Lu. “We also have foreign players from Thailand who have been with the club for a long time.”
Coach Lu acknowledged the strength of their opponents, especially Ho Chi Minh City FC. “Ho Chi Minh City FC is a strong team with many talented players who performed well at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Japan’s team is also very strong. We will do our best in each match,” she added. “I’ve studied them closely, and Huynh Nhu, who recently returned from Europe, is a very talented player.”
Ho Chi Minh City FC is set to face Taichung Blue Whale at 7:00 PM on October 6. The first match of the group, between Urawa Reds and Odisha, will take place earlier in the day.
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