Football

PHÚ THỌ — Việt Nam are sitting pretty at the top of Group E and may be heading to the finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 after an emphatic 6-0 win over United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday in Phú Thọ Province.

The host side have assumed control of the group with two wins, and need only one point from the last game to earn their place in the finals in Australia next March.

Việt Nam started the game at a furious pace, with Huỳnh Như and Dương Thị Vân testing UAE goalkeeper Maha Alblooshi in the first few minutes of the match.

The opening goal came in the 11th minute, when Ngân Thi Vạn Sự’s corner kick delivery found Chương Thị Kiều, who thumped a free header into the bottom corner.

Việt Nam doubled their advantage three minutes later, when a mix-up in the UAE defence allowed Thái Thị Thảo to steal the ball and poke it home from close range.

The hosts maintained their intensity and found the back of the net again in the 43rd minute, when Thảo’s cross from the right was headed in by Nguyễn Thị Vạn at the far post.

Việt Nam picked up from where they left off after the interval, needing only six minutes to add to the score through a second from Vạn, who flicked in Trần Thị Thu Thảo’s low cross.

The score became 5-0 in the 64th minute, when Sự picked out Phạm Hải Yến with a delightful header for the latter to slide the ball home unchallenged.

Sự capped off a brilliant Việt Nam performance, turning in a rebound in stoppage time after Alblooshi had blocked Yến’s initial attempt.

Coach Mai Đức Chung of Việt Nam was pleased with the win, but he wanted his players to work harder to fix their mistakes.

“6-0 is what we want from this match. However, my players still need to improve some points including their understanding during attack coordination and their passes need to be more accurate," said Chung in the post-match conference.

"In addition, I want them to get closer their rivals in all situations to take the control and manage the ball better."

Chung added that he was happy with performance of young players, who managed to show their ability although it was their first major international tournament. The coach promised to give them more opportunities to shine in this tournament as well as the next few.

On the UAE side, coach Vera Pauw said she was proud, as her players fought hard against such a strong rival.

“Việt Nam are a good team with a good football foundation, and were World Cup participants. I am impressed with their constant switching of positions, their speed and diversity in playing style.

"Meanwhile after the COVID-19 pandemic, UAE's women's football had to rebuild almost from scratch. As athletes and sportswomen, none of us wanted to see a big loss. But I am proud, as they played their best until the last seconds. They gave their best today and I can't blame them for anything. That is sport – keep believing in ourselves.”

The UAE are working on a long-term plan to build their team with a national championship, a tournament for young players and a community football development strategy. All activities are aimed at creating a sustainable football base from local players, she added.

In the other group match, Guam produced a controlled display to beat the Maldives 3-0.

Rebecca Bartosh made a hat trick, scoring the first goal in the last minute of the first half and the rest in the second.

The win gave Guam, with four points, a chance at the top spot with a decider against Việt Nam to come on Saturday, while the Maldives will conclude their campaign against the UAE. VNS