At 3 PM today (March 28th), Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club will face Naegohyang (North Korea) in the quarter-finals of the AFC Women's Champions League 2025-2026. This is a major challenge for coach Doan Thi Kim Chi and her players as they aim to reach the semi-finals of the continental tournament for the second consecutive time.
Maintain consistent performance.
In Asia, North Korean women's football is one of the leading powerhouses. In their return to the Women's Asian Cup after a 16-year absence, the East Asian representatives reached the quarterfinals and secured their 5th Women's World Cup qualification with a resounding 4-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the play-off.
In terms of overall strength, Naegohyang is clearly the more highly rated team. From the qualifying rounds to the group stage of this season's AFC Women's Champions League, they have maintained consistent form with only one loss in six matches. Notably, in their wins, Naegohyang has consistently demonstrated effective attacking capabilities and a solid defense, scoring at least three goals and keeping a clean sheet.
Ho Chi Minh City women's club aims to reach the semi-finals of the continental tournament for the second consecutive time. (Photo: AFC)
Furthermore, the club's squad from East Asia boasts extensive international experience. Many of the female players recently participated in the 2026 Asian Cup with the North Korean national team, including striker Kim Kyong-yong, who scored 4 goals in Australia. In addition, Min Kyong-jin and Kim Song-ok won the 2024 U20 Women's World Cup with their respective teams, and Choe Yon-a won the 2024 U17 Women's World Cup.
Maintain self-confidence
The Ho Chi Minh City women's club entered the match with significant personnel changes. The addition of three foreign players – Joelma Alves Gabriel, Israela Alicia Groves, and Rielly Chesna Marie – could bring a new look to the Vietnamese representative. However, the worrying issue is the limited time for integration, leaving the smooth functioning of the system questionable.
The match will take place in Vientiane (Laos) in the afternoon, under relatively hot weather. This will pose many difficulties for Coach Doan Thi Kim Chi's team when facing Naegohyang, who are physically superior. However, experience in continental competitions will be an important asset for the Ho Chi Minh City women's club players to maintain confidence against their strong opponent. While the North Korean representatives are participating in this tournament for the first time, Huynh Nhu and her teammates made their mark last season by reaching the semi-finals.
Having advanced through the group stage twice in a row, the team demonstrated stability in their squad building and the fighting spirit of coach Doan Thi Kim Chi's players. It is highly likely that Ho Chi Minh City FC will choose a cautious approach, prioritizing solidity and waiting for opportunities from transitional situations, avoiding being drawn into Naegohyang's fast-paced style of play and thus avoiding wasting energy.
In the other quarter-final match of this bracket, defending champions Wuhan Jiangda (China) will face Suwon (South Korea). Given the current form of both teams, this is predicted to be an exciting and closely contested match. The winner will pose a significant challenge to the Ho Chi Minh City women's club if they advance to the semi-finals.
The goal is to reach the semi-finals.
This is the second consecutive year that the Ho Chi Minh City women's club has reached the knockout round of the tournament considered the "Asian Women's Champions League". Coach Kim Chi said: "The team assembled early, trained intensely, and traveled to Laos on March 25th to quickly adapt to the hot afternoon sun and the pitch conditions. The Ho Chi Minh City women's club still has reason to believe in a positive result on the afternoon of March 28th."
Captain Huynh Nhu stated at the pre-match press conference: "Last year, we reached the semi-finals. This season, we have set the same goal and are striving to go even further."
Q.An
Source: https://nld.com.vn/thu-thach-lon-cho-clb-nu-tp-hcm-196260327212531616.htm
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