Viet Nam News
Football
HA NOI — Viet Nam defeated Syria 11-0 in the Group D opening match of the qualifying round of the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Wednesday in Ha Noi.
The match was played at the Viet Nam Youth Football Training Centre.
The goals went to Nguyen Thi Lieu in the first minute and in the first half extra time; Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung in the 13rd and 38th minutes; Nguyen Thi Hoa in the 20th and 90th minutes; Nguyen Thi Nguyet in the 17th minute; Pham Hai Yen in the sixth and 24th; Nguyen Thi Muon in the 71st minute; and Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang in the 76th minute.
This win has helped Viet Nam temporarily take the lead in the group.
Coach Mai Duc Chung is satisfied with his team’s performance. “The players followed my tactics and played wonderfully to gain three points,” Chung said. “We played fair and played with the right spirit of respecting one’s rivals.”
The team must now focus on the next matches, especially with strong opponents Iran or Myanmar, the coach said.
Though his team lost to Viet Nam, coach Abdul Tatteesh of Syria is happy with his players’ competitive spirit. “I appreciated the team’s efforts in the match. The players tried their best and sometimes controlled the match. We have taken part in this event to show that Syrian people are unyielding yet positive in any circumstances,” Tatteesh said.
Viet Nam will face Singapore at 6pm on April 7.
Viet Nam will be playing against Syria, Singapore, Myanmar and Iran in the group round, which will continue till April 11. The other 16 teams are playing in Group A, Group B and Group C.
The winners of each group will qualify for the finals, which will be held in Jordan. The three highest ranked women’s national teams from last AFC Women’s Asian Cup – Japan, Australia and China – have automatically qualified in the eight-team finals.
The finals, which will be held from April 7 to 22, 2018, will also serve as the Asian qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. The five best teams will book their tickets to Paris. — VNS