Perth, 7 March 2026 – Coach Mai Duc Chung believes the Vietnam Women’s National Team must determine their own fate if they want to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
After the 0–1 defeat to Chinese Taipei, the veteran coach offered an honest assessment of his team’s performance in their second group-stage match.
Mai Duc Chung admitted that Vietnam did not perform at their expected level. “It is clear that our team did not play well today. The opponent also lost energy in the second half, but we failed to take advantage of our opportunities. I would like to congratulate the Chinese Taipei women’s team on their victory. We only made a small mistake, lost concentration for a moment, and conceded the goal,” he said.
Analyzing the reasons behind the loss, the 74-year-old coach highlighted several factors that affected his players’ performance. “First, the hot weather had a major impact on the players’ physical condition. Second, we lost our composure at times and could not maintain focus, which affected our coordination and passing accuracy. These issues made the match very difficult for us.”
Despite the disappointing result, he noted that Vietnam showed improvement in the second half. The team created more opportunities but struggled to convert them due to poor timing and lack of coordination in attacking situations. Additionally, several key players — including Thanh Nha, Van Su, and Duong Thi Van — were visibly affected by the intense heat, leading to a noticeable drop in stamina as the match progressed.
When asked about Vietnam’s chances of advancing, Mai Duc Chung emphasized that the situation remains uncertain and that the team must focus on their own performance rather than outside circumstances.
“At this moment, it is very difficult to calculate our chances because there are still many unknown factors. We will approach the tournament one match at a time, as we said from the beginning. We cannot depend on external results — we must rely on our own efforts,” he stated.
Vietnam Women’s National Team will now face a crucial final group-stage match against Japan on March 10, which will play a decisive role in determining whether they can progress further in the tournament.
VSN/RPT
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