Ho Chi Minh City women’s FC handed tough AFC Women’s Champions League group

Ho Chi Minh City, 3 Sep 2026 – The AFC Women’s Champions League 2026/27 group-stage draw took place on September 3, with 12 clubs discovering their opponents for the next phase of the continental competition.

Vietnamese representatives Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC have been drawn into a challenging Group B, where they will face Hwacheon KSPO WFC of South Korea, East Bengal FC of India and North Korea’s 4.25 Sports Club.

The group is expected to provide a demanding test for the Vietnamese side, with several experienced and highly competitive teams battling for places in the knockout stage.

In particular, the representatives from South Korea and North Korea are regarded as strong contenders to progress, meaning Ho Chi Minh City Women will need to carefully manage their squad and approach each fixture strategically if they are to secure a favourable position.

Their challenge will be made even more difficult by the loss of the home advantage they enjoyed in previous campaigns.

For the first time, the Vietnamese representatives will have to contest the group stage away from home, with the Group B matches scheduled to be played in India. Adapting to different playing conditions will therefore become another important factor in their qualification campaign.

Under the competition format, the four teams will meet each other once in a single round-robin format, with the results determining the final group standings.

The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed sides across the three groups, will advance to the quarterfinals.

Clubs are also permitted to register up to six foreign players, including one player from an Asian association. The regulation provides teams with greater flexibility to strengthen their squads, while also making recruitment and tactical planning increasingly important.

With strong opposition and no home advantage, Ho Chi Minh City Women face a difficult challenge in Group B as they look to continue representing Vietnamese women’s football on the continental stage.

VSN/RPT