Up for the cup: Viet Nam captain Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh (front) will lead the host team against Laos in the first semi-final match of the regional football championship today in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Nhut

HA NOI – (VNS) Viet Nam will play Laos in the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian Women's Football Championship today in HCM City.

The hosts are at the top of group B after three wins while the visitors rank second in group A after their loss of 0-3 to Thailand in the last group round match on Tuesday.

In the later semis, defending champions Thailand will play powerhouse Myanmar.

Yokoyama Minoru, executive director of the Japanese Speranza Osaka Takatsuki football club, came to watch the championship matches on Tuesday with a view to recruit Southeast Asian players, especially the Vietnamese, for his team.

The director appreciated Vietnamese players better than those from Laos and Myanmar. Strikers Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet and Nguyen Thi Hoa made strong impress on Minoru and he said midfielder Le Thi Thuong and goalie Dang Thi Kieu Trinh were also skilled players.

Minoru said the Vietnamese definitely could play in Japan but they had to improve their physique a lot to meet the high demands of the league. — VNS