Coach Mai Duc Chung reveals the reason for returning to lead the Vietnamese women's national team.

VHO - The Vietnamese women's national team, under the guidance of coach Mai Duc Chung, held its first training session on the afternoon of January 14th at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center (Hanoi), in preparation for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

After leading the Vietnamese women's national team at the 33rd SEA Games, coach Mai Duc Chung requested to resign from his position as head coach. However, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) persuaded him to stay and continue working with his players.

Coach Mai Duc Chung will lead the Vietnamese women's national team in the 2026 Asian Championship.

In addition, during this time, the Vietnamese women's national team needs to continue maintaining stability in terms of professional skills, playing style, and team management to ensure the best possible preparation for the continental tournament.

Speaking before training, coach Mai Duc Chung said he decided to return to lead the Vietnamese women's national team after a period of rest, when his health had recovered and he still had many aspirations to contribute to the team.

"I still want to lead the Vietnamese women's national team even though my health is not what it used to be. After having a proper rest period, my physical condition has recovered," said coach Mai Duc Chung.

The veteran coach emphasized that the overarching goal of this training camp is to improve physical fitness, maintain a pressing style of play, and control short passes suitable for the physique of Vietnamese players, while also improving finishing efficiency.

During this training session, the players took to the field with enthusiasm, and the whole team maintained a positive and highly focused atmosphere. According to the plan, the Vietnamese women's national team will train in Hanoi for over three weeks before heading to China for a training camp.

During their domestic training camp, the team is scheduled to play two friendly matches against the Uzbekistan women's national team, taking place in Hanoi on January 26th and 29th.

The players are training diligently.

In early February, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team will travel to China for training to improve their fitness and refine their playing style, before returning to Vietnam for a short Lunar New Year break and then rejoining the team.

In terms of personnel, the Vietnamese women's national team has called up 28 players, including 23 who participated in the SEA Games 33, and added several young talents. Giving opportunities to young players is part of the plan to rejuvenate the squad, creating depth for the present and the future.

Coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed that the Vietnamese women's national team always welcomes young players, especially those who have performed outstandingly in the National U19 Women's Championship, demonstrating good form, fighting spirit, and a desire to contribute.

At the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Finals, the Vietnamese women's team is in Group C along with Japan, India, and Chinese Taipei.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/hlv-mai-duc-chung-tiet-lo-ly-do-tro-lai-dan-dat-doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-197392.html