Vietnam typifies perseverance as it aims for new heights at Asian Cup

Source : ABC NEWS

This Women’s Asian Cup presents a rare, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Vietnam’s national women’s football team, for whom perseverance is more than a slogan.

The tournament looms as the gateway to a potential second appearance at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup — a stage that represents both history and unfinished ambition for the South-East Asian side.

Veteran journalist and commentator Tran Quang Tuyen told ABC Sport that the women’s side had spent the past 20 years building success largely out of the spotlight, guided by patience and with an eye firmly on the long term.

“That strategy bore fruit at the most recent Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand, where nearly half the squad was refreshed with younger players without any significant drop in performance,” Tuyen said, pointing to what he described as clear evidence of a well-functioning development pipeline.

In a country where the men’s game continues to dominate commercial appeal and media coverage, the women’s domestic landscape remains compact, typically comprising six to eight clubs in the national championship.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has prioritised continuity, investing in youth pathways and overseas exposure rather than rapid expansion.

From grassroots beginnings to structured growth

Many of Vietnam’s earlier generations of footballers emerged from loosely organised grassroots competitions, reflecting modest beginnings. In recent years, however, development has become more systematic.

Leading clubs such as Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC, Ha Noi Women’s FC, Phong Phu Ha Nam Women’s FC and Than KSVN Women’s FC now operate structured youth sides, forming a clearer pathway to the senior national team.

Officials describe the system as gradual but increasingly professional, with enhanced scouting networks, youth coaching investment and longer-term athlete management.

Tran Thi An represents one of the clearest examples of Vietnam’s emerging trend in women’s football development.

An began playing football at 14 and now plays for Phong Phu Ha Nam, newly crowned back-to-back 2026 National U19 champions.

In Vietnam’s decisive qualifier for the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup against Hong Kong (China), she wore the captain’s armband and led her side to victory, sealing their place at the 2026 finals.

Regional success, global dreams

Vietnam’s senior women have been among South-East Asia’s most successful teams over the past two decades, collecting eight SEA Games gold medals since 2001 and three ASEAN (AFF) titles.

Their breakthrough on the global stage came with qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup — Vietnam’s first appearance at the tournament.

Although results proved challenging, with three one-sided defeats, participation marked a milestone and underscored rising standards.

Coach Mai Duc Chung acknowledges that Vietnam sits in Asia’s second tier, trailing established heavyweights such as Japan, North Korea, Australia and South Korea.

“In Asia, we are ranked behind the leading teams,” Chung said.

“We know that to achieve good results, we must show strong determination and maximum effort.”

At the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup finals in Australia, Vietnam has been drawn with Japan, Taiwan and India.

For football observers at home and abroad, progression to the quarter-finals is viewed as a realistic objective.

A semi-final finish would secure direct qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

Even a quarter-final exit would still leave a play-off route open, meaning a fifth or sixth-place finish could suffice.

Reflecting on previous continental campaigns, including a challenging Asian Cup 2022 in India, Chung said the team had matured through adversity.

“At this level, every team has lifted its standards and invested significantly in development,” he said.

“If we’re to achieve the result we’re aiming for, we must compete with all of them.”

Team to call on Vietnamese diaspora for support

Head coach Chung also acknowledged the role of supporters, particularly members of the Vietnamese community in Australia, whose presence he said would help offset the distance from home.

Tuyen said crowd support, while modest compared with the men’s game, remained steady. National team matches and leading domestic fixtures typically draw between 2,000 and 5,000 spectators.

Attendance surges on major occasions: nearly 20,000 fans packed Cam Pha Stadium in Quảng Ninh for the women’s final at the 2022 SEA Games.

Among them are teenage supporters such as Hung Nguyen, who began following the Vietnam women’s national team during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

According to Hung, the fan base has grown noticeably younger, particularly in the wake of that tournament.

On social platforms, highlight reels and player stories — especially those featuring stars such as Huynh Nhu — are widely shared, drawing strong engagement from teenagers who watch, comment and rally behind the side.

For Hung and his friends, women’s football has also become a source of inspiration, symbolising resilience and progress in gender equality.

For his part, Chung said the team had drawn strength from the support of Vietnamese fans abroad as they prepared to play away from home.

“Competing outside Vietnam, the backing of our overseas supporters — particularly in Australia — gives us added confidence,” he said.

“We will do our utmost for the national colours and for the spirit of Vietnam.”

Nguyen Thuy Mien is an international affairs journalist for Thanh Nien, one of Vietnam’s most reputable daily newspapers based in Ho Chi Minh City.

She is a member of ABC International Development’s Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.