National women’s football championship to kick off

Striker Phạm Thị Hải Yến of Hà Nội (middle) vies for the ball with a player of Thái Nguyên in the National Women’s Football Championship last year. This year, the event’s first leg will kick off on September 22. Photo vff.org.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI — After delays due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the first leg of the Women's National Football Championship -- Thái Sơn Bắc Cup 2020 -- will run from September 22 to October 13.

The matches will take place at the Hà Nam Stadium in Phủ Lý City, Hà Nam Province and the Việt Nam Youth Football Centre in Hà Nội.

The tournament is scheduled to feature eight teams, namely Sơn La, Hà Nội I Watabe, Hà Nội II Watabe, Phong Phú Hà Nam, HCM City I, HCM City II, Việt Nam Coal and Mineral, and Thái Nguyên T&T.

All eight teams will play their opponents twice in a round-robin format. The return fixtures are scheduled to take place from November 20 to December 11 in the second leg of the tournament.

The winners will walk away with VNĐ300 million (US$13,000), while the first and second runners-up will receive VNĐ200 million ($8,700) and VNĐ100 million ($4,300), respectively.

The organising committee will also give out awards for the best player, top scorer and best goalkeeper, among others.

Notably, because procedures for their moves to play in Portugal have not been completed, Cù Huỳnh Như of HCM City, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung of Hà Nam and Phạm Thị Hải Yến of Hà Nội are still eligible to play.

Previously, the three players were recruited to play for Lank FC in the Campeonato Nacional III Championship, the third division of Portuguese women's football, on loan deals.

Lank FC are a new women's football club, established last year, and are recruiting players with their sights set on immediate promotion.

Last year, HCM City 1 won the National Women’s Football Championship title by beating Sơn La 3-0 with one match to go. — VNS