Chonburi, 17 December 2025 – Coach Mai Duc Chung has completed the final match of his coaching career, as the Vietnam women’s national team lost to the Philippines in the SEA Games 33 final.
The Vietnam women’s team failed to successfully defend their SEA Games gold medal. In the final against the Philippines, coach Mai Duc Chung’s players were held to a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes before losing 5-6 in the penalty shootout, with Tran Thi Thu missing the sixth kick.
It was a painful and cruel defeat, as Vietnam were denied a clear and legitimate goal by the referee, despite creating numerous chances, defending in a well-organized manner, and fighting until the very last moments against the much younger and physically stronger Filipino players of European and American descent.
Even so, it was still a memorable tournament for the Vietnam women’s team, and especially for head coach Mai Duc Chung, who will part ways with the team after SEA Games 33 concludes.
Coach Chung could not have a perfect farewell match. Nevertheless, the image of the resilient and tireless “general,” still full of passion for the profession and still on the frontline at the age of 76, will forever remain in the hearts of fans. One defeat cannot erase the glorious and emotional legacy of nearly two decades that he and his players have written together for Vietnamese women’s football.
When Mai Duc Chung returned to the Vietnam women’s national team, many people around him considered the decision “stubborn.” That was in mid-2024, when he was already 75 years old.
At such an age, even many veteran coaches choose to step away, no longer wanting to deal with the intense pressure of football, the mental and physical demands, and the constant travel that comes with the job.
Coach Chung himself had once felt exhausted, which was why he decided to rest after his contract with the women’s team ended in late 2023.
The strategist born in 1949 wanted a lighter, more age-appropriate role. He said that if he still had a connection with women’s football, he might serve as an advisor, continuing to contribute but in a gentler way. The rest of his time would be devoted to family and simple pleasures of old age, such as enjoying tea or going fishing.
However, Mai Duc Chung’s passion for the profession never faded. Even in retirement, conversations over tea with friends still revolved around football.
He was constantly concerned about the next generation, about the chance to return to the World Cup, and about the many lingering worries regarding the livelihoods of women footballers, who still face significant financial hardships.
Eventually, when the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) could not find a suitable successor, the “old general” chose to return. VFF had even turned down a foreign coach with World Cup-level credentials due to a salary demand of thousands of US dollars and the requirement to be present in Vietnam only during tournaments.
Among his assistants, no one was considered prominent or authoritative enough to sit on the hot seat that the 76-year-old coach had defined with an exceptionally high standard of success.
Mai Duc Chung returned, fully aware that if things went wrong, his farewell might not be as complete as before. But if he had feared failure, he would never have enjoyed such a fulfilling career.
“I returned to the Vietnam women’s national team out of love for the players. I didn’t do it for money or status. Some people said I was stubborn and asked why I hadn’t retired yet. They said stopping at the peak might be wiser, because what if the ending wasn’t successful? I’m not afraid of failure. I’m ready to face it with responsibility. When the team needs me, I will be there,” Mai Duc Chung once shared.
And so, at the age of 76, he once again took up the tactical board and went into battle. Whether under cold rain or scorching heat, the old general was never absent. He always believed that a head coach should never stand in the shade.
That belief stayed with the former coach of the Railway General Department team from his earliest days in coaching until the final moments of his career. Either do not do it at all, or do it properly.
Mai Duc Chung has closed a glorious chapter in the history of Vietnamese women’s football spanning nearly three decades. Seven SEA Games gold medals, the AFF Cup 2019 title, fourth place at ASIAD 2014, and a historic qualification for the 2023 World Cup represent a women’s football powerhouse built across generations by the rough, tireless hands of the old general.
Those hands belonged to a teacher, a quiet father figure who lit the fire and nurtured dreams through the most difficult times.
From today onward, “general” Chung can finally rest, spending time enjoying family meals with his devoted wife, and peacefully watching over the vast legacy he leaves behind, confident that it will be carried forward by worthy successors.
Hong Phuc – Thanh Tung
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