Viet Tri, 5 July, 2025 – Vietnam’s women’s national football team sealed their place at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 after a dominant 4-0 win over Guam in their final Group E match of the qualifying round, held on July 5 at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho.
Entering the match needing only a draw to qualify, coach Mai Duc Chung’s side showed no signs of complacency. The team asserted control from the opening whistle, eventually securing a comfortable four-goal victory to close the group stage with a perfect record—three wins, nine points, and zero goals conceded.
Following the game, head coach Mai Duc Chung expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “I am pleased with the result. Physically, our players are smaller and less powerful compared to Guam, but the cohesive playing style made the difference. We avoided long balls, opted for triangular passing, flank attacks, and executed our tactics well. That’s what led to the goals,” he explained. “Guam is also stronger than our previous two opponents, UAE and Maldives.”
Looking ahead, coach Chung shared his aspirations: “You can never predict outcomes in football, but deep down, we all hope to reach the World Cup. I want the players to continue improving day by day and take big strides forward. Though we had a long training period, it was still not enough. With more time, we could refine our finishing even further. I also wanted to call up 3 or 4 players from the U20 squad, but that wasn’t possible because they’re preparing for their own competition. Hopefully, next time we’ll have a longer and better preparation phase.”
Midfielder Bich Thuy, who scored a brace in the match, added: “We always give our best, but it wasn’t easy to score against Guam. In every tournament, we aim for the final and to win titles. That is always the motivation of the Vietnam women’s team.”
With the qualification phase complete, Vietnam is now officially among the 12 teams set to compete at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final tournament, which will take place in Australia from March 1 to 21, 2026.
Next on the schedule for the Golden Star Women Warriors is the 2025 AFF Women’s Championship, where they will face Cambodia (August 6), Indonesia (August 9), and Thailand (August 12) in the group stage.
On the opposing side, Guam head coach Kimberly Sherman praised her players despite the defeat. “It was a tough match. Although the result wasn’t what we hoped for, I believe my players gave their all. Vietnam is a very experienced team, and that clearly showed on the pitch today. But we’re not discouraged. I’m proud of my team.”
Vietnam’s qualification not only demonstrates their regional dominance but also solidifies their ambitions to reach another FIFA Women’s World Cup, building on the historic 2023 appearance.
Hong Phuc – Anh Phuong
Leave a Reply