AFC Women's Asian Cup
The Southeast Asian side were peerless in Group E of the Qualifiers and will aim to carry their form into the Finals.
Factfile
FIFA World Ranking: 36
Previous appearances: 9
Best placing: Q-finals
2022 result: Q-finals
How they qualified: Qualifiers Group E winners
Group C fixtures: Mar 4: v India; Mar 7: v Chinese Taipei; Mar 10: v Japan
Fun fact: Vietnam will be making a 10th successive appearance at the Finals
FIFA World Ranking: 36
Previous appearances: 9
Best placing: Q-finals
2022 result: Q-finals
How they qualified: Qualifiers Group E winners
Group C fixtures: Mar 4: v India; Mar 7: v Chinese Taipei; Mar 10: v Japan
Fun fact: Vietnam will be making a 10th successive appearance at the Finals
While Vietnam have appeared in the Finals of every edition since making their debut in 1999, success has eluded them.
They have progressed from the group stage only twice - in 2014 and the last edition hosted by India.
A sixth-placed finish in 2014 meant missing out on FIFA Women's World Cup qualification but Vietnam finally ended their wait to appear on the global stage eight years later by emerging tops in the playoffs.
Qualification was achieved despite initial fears that Vietnam would have to withdraw from India 2022 after the majority of the squad was hit by a COVID-19 outbreak during their training camp in Spain.
Their debut at the global showpiece ended with three defeats in the group stage but the experience gained playing against the likes of the United States, Portugal and Netherlands is something Vietnam will look to build on at the AFC Women's Asian Cup.
Mai Duc Chung - who remains in the hot seat despite having stepped down following the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 - said Vietnam's main target at Australia 2026 will be to qualify for the next edition of the global showpiece in 2027.
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Winning the silver medal at the 2025 SEA Games provided a glimpse of Vietnam's potential and Mai will be keen to extend their progress on to the continental stage by picking up points against India and Chinese Taipei before facing Japan.
The 76-year-old head coach was left in awe of the team's dedication and determination as they cut short their Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays to prepare for the tournament.
"The Vietnamese women's football team reconvened on the second day of Tet, making small sacrifices for individual family and personal matters to begin joint training in preparation for the upcoming tournament," said Mai.
"We had already been training before Tet, but a long break during Tet would definitely affect our fitness. That's why I asked the team to reconvene early, and the whole team agreed. That is a manifestation of the highest spirit and determination of the Vietnamese women's football team."
