Quang Ninh (VNS/VNA) - The Vietnamese women's national team is gearing up for the 2025 ASEAN Women’s Championship, hoping to lift the trophy on home soil.

After training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre in Hanoi, the team has moved to Quang Ninh province for intensive training, focusing on two key areas: sand training to build endurance and resilience, and enhancing tactical skills.

"Coach Mai Duc Chung has analysed potential opponents for the tournament, including the Philippines and Australia. The Vietnamese women's team must develop good physical fitness and resilience to compete against players with superior height," said player Tran Thi Hai Linh.

With continuous training since June, including foreign training camps, friendly matches and official competitions such as the Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, the Vietnamese team is reaching an ideal peak in form and fitness. The lessons learned from failures at the ASEAN Women’s Championship 2022 and ASIAD 2023 - both attributed to player exhaustion from participating in ongoing major tournaments - have helped the coaching staff make better strategic decisions, allowing players to adjust and adapt.

Challenges

The Vietnamese women's national team has been one of the most successful teams in Southeast Asian women's football over the past six years, winning the SEA Games 30, 31, and 32, the ASEAN Cup 2019, finishing fifth in the Asian Cup 2022 and securing a spot in the 2023 World Cup.

These achievements are the result of over two decades of building women's football, developing talent and maintaining a resilient playing style.

However, the most recent ASEAN Cup (2022) was not a successful event. Competing as the defending champions and easily topping the group stage, they unexpectedly lost 0-4 to the Philippines in the semi-finals and then lost 3-4 to Myanmar in the third-place match.

Coach Chung and his staff are working to build a strong and comprehensive squad aimed at winning the ASEAN Cup 2025. Playing at home will be a significant advantage, but the team will also face considerable challenges from strong opponents in Group A.

Vietnam has been drawn into Group A alongside Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia, setting up highly anticipated group-stage clashes. Group B comprises the Philippines, Myanmar, Australia, and Timor-Leste.

The regional event is scheduled to take place from August 6 to 19, with matches held at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho and Lach Tray Stadium in Hai Phong. The host team will play all three of their group-stage matches in Viet Tri.

ꦆ According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B, and vice versa./.