Vietnam women's team to face reigning Asian champions China: Paving the way to the World Cup

The Vietnamese women's national team is undergoing a short training camp in China just before the 2026 Asian Cup to assess their strength and prepare for their ambition to once again participate in the World Cup.

The Vietnamese women's team will face the reigning Asian champions.

Today (February 7th), the Vietnamese women's national team departed for China to begin a 7-day training camp in preparation for the 2026 Asian Cup finals.

This is a crucial training camp, and coach Mai Duc Chung and his team will have two friendly matches against the Chinese women's national team to assess their squad and playing style. China is the reigning Asian Women's Cup champion, having defeated Japan in the final four years ago.

The Chinese women's national team, along with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and North Korea, formed a group of five "Asian powerhouses," taking turns dominating the Asian Cup and qualifying for the World Cup for many years. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, India, and Myanmar are in the second group, unable to compare with the top group.

The Vietnamese women's national team travels to China for training.

PHOTO: VFF

Therefore, the match against China is a valuable test for the Vietnamese women's national team. After the SEA Games 33, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team gathered to train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center ( Hanoi ). With a familiar core of players, Vietnam won 1-0 against Uzbekistan in a friendly match, completely controlling the game, maintaining their attacking style, smooth ball control, and diverse tactics. The Vietnamese women's team also upgraded their wing attacks and counter-attacks to be more powerful and precise, while improving their physical fitness to defend against high-level opponents.

While the Vietnamese women's team's attacking capabilities were proven in the match against Uzbekistan, the clash with the Chinese women's team will test the defensive prowess of coach Mai Duc Chung's players.

After the era of Chương Thị Kiều, the Vietnamese women's national team's defense faced difficulties, as the next generation of players failed to meet expectations. Diễm My (Vietnam Coal and Mineral Corporation) and Trần Thị Thu ( Thái Nguyên T&T) remained the leading players, alongside other promising talents who had not yet broken through, such as Thu Thương, Kim Yên, and Thanh Thảo...

Coach Mai Duc Chung has persistently worked on improving his players' physical fitness and strength through competitive and tactical training exercises. He demands that his players pass quickly and concisely, without holding onto the ball for too long. In defense, the ability to provide cover is key to success. The Vietnamese women's national team lacks outstanding individual players, so they rely on collective strength.

A tough challenge

The Chinese women's national team is top-tier, with a well-rounded squad of players excelling in both physical attributes and technical skills.

In 2025, coach Ante Milicic's team won against Taiwan (4-0, 4-1), Uzbekistan (5-0), Thailand (5-1), drew with Japan (0-0) and South Korea (2-2). China also drew with Canada (1-1), the team that won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Valuable lessons await the "diamond girls".

PHOTO: VFF

Despite losing to England, the USA, and Mexico, the experience gained from competing against strong teams significantly improved the Chinese women's national team. China's advantage over most Asian football nations is the opportunity to play consistently and in friendly matches against superior opponents, allowing for faster progress.

"The Vietnamese women's team will learn a lot from the friendly matches against China," coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed. At the 2022 Asian Cup, Vietnam lost 1-3 to China in the quarterfinals, with Tuyet Dung scoring the opening goal, but then Vietnam unfortunately missed a penalty. This shows that even against strong opponents, the Vietnamese women's team always has a chance.

Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team previously participated in the 2023 World Cup and continuously "tested their mettle" against strong teams such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand, the USA, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and even China.

The Vietnamese women's national team has risen from adversity and failure to become a resilient unit. The team's goal is to learn and refine their playing style, preparing for the 2026 Asian Cup with the aim of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup.

The Vietnamese women's national team is in Group C of the 2026 Asian Cup along with Japan, India, and Taiwan. The tournament will take place from March 1st to 21st in three cities: Sydney, Perth, and Gold Coast. The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

The Vietnamese women's team played in the group stage in Perth, successively against India (4.3), Taiwan (7.3) and Japan (10.3) at Perth Rectangular Stadium.

Vietnam women's national team training roster

PHOTO: VFF

 

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-dau-trung-quoc-duong-kim-vo-dich-chau-a-mo-duong-den-world-cup-185260207155449851.htm