Perth, 10 March 2026 – Following Vietnam’s elimination in the group stage of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, head coach Mai Duc Chung has announced that he will step down from his role with the Vietnam Women’s National Team.
At Perth Rectangular Stadium, Vietnam failed to produce an upset and suffered a 0–4 defeat against Japan in their final Group C match. The result left Vietnam at the bottom of the ranking among the third-placed teams. Although Vietnam finished with the same three points as Uzbekistan (Group A) and the Philippines (Group B), their inferior goal difference (–4 compared with –2) meant the other two teams secured the remaining quarterfinal spots.
The defeat not only ended Vietnam’s journey at the tournament in Australia but also officially ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. After the match on March 10, Mai Duc Chung confirmed that this tournament would mark the end of his tenure with the national team.
“After this tournament, I will step down,” the veteran coach said during the post-match press conference. “I am happy that a new coach will soon take over and continue leading the team.”
Throughout his long career, Mai Duc Chung has stepped away from the national team several times, only to return when needed. A notable example was after the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, when Vietnam made history by qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. At that time, the Vietnam Football Federation persuaded him to remain in charge to guide the team at the global tournament. After the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, he briefly retired and was honored by the federation before returning again in May 2024 to stabilize the team.
After winning the silver medal at the SEA Games 33, the 76-year-old coach initially planned to retire but later agreed to continue following discussions with the Vietnam Football Federation, who wanted continuity ahead of the Asian Cup campaign.
One of the potential successors is Hoang Van Phuc, currently serving as an assistant coach of the women’s national team. The experienced coach has previously managed several Vietnamese clubs and worked within the Hanoi youth development system before joining the national setup.
At the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, Vietnam opened their campaign with a 2–1 victory over India before suffering a 0–1 loss to Chinese Taipei. Their qualification hopes depended on earning points against Japan or losing by a narrow margin, but Japan’s superior quality prevented Vietnam from creating any real chances of an upset.
Mai Duc Chung acknowledged that his players struggled physically after the demanding match against Chinese Taipei under extreme heat, which affected their performance against Japan. Despite the disappointing result, he praised the fighting spirit of his players and took responsibility for the team’s failure to reach the quarterfinals.
After more than two decades dedicated to women’s football, Mai Duc Chung emphasized that the development of women’s football in Asia has improved significantly. However, he stressed that Vietnam must continue investing in youth development and grassroots programs to strengthen the national team in the future.
“To develop women’s football further, we must keep working hard, especially in youth training,” he said. “Schools, academies, and local communities all need to contribute so the movement grows stronger and helps improve the national team.”
VSN/RPT
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