Vietnam eyes upset win vs Thailand 2024 AFF Women's Futsal tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Coming into the 2024 AFF Women’s Futsal Championship that will be held at the PhilSports Arena from November 16-21, all eyes may be on regional powerhouse Thailand. 

However, gliding in like a shark is Vietnam.

Vietnam defeated Thailand in the recently concluded NSDF Women’s Futsal Championship. This 2024, the Vietnamese, in seven games, won four of their matches and drew three. 

A clear indication of how far the Vietnamese have come is when they drew with Iran 2-2 in the Lanzhou International Women’s Futsal Tournament. Previously, Iran dealt them one of their worst losses in team history, 5-nil, in 2018.

Since then, Vietnam has finished fourth place – its best – in the 2018 Asian Cup and bagged the silver medal in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games.

Coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang has presided over the rampaging Vietnamese national team, which is ranked 11th in the world — two notches higher than its previous No. 13 ranking. This is based on the official FIFA rankings released this month of October 2024.

Vietnam is also ranked the fourth best squad in Asia. 

For this AFF Women’s Futsal Championship in Manila, the Vietnamese will feature top scorer Tran Thi Thuy Trang, a bemedaled player who won a 2024 Southeast Asian Games gold medal in three-a-side football, including a silver medal in futsal. She recently retired from 11-a-side football to concentrate on futsal.

Joining Thuy Trang are Kim Phung, K’Thua, Hong Nhung, Thu Xuan, Tu Anh and Bien Thi Hangh.

They are currently wrapping up their training camp in Hanoi in preparation for this tournament.

Once in Manila, Vietnam will earn a bye on opening day, November 16. That will allow the team to get the measure of Myanmar when they open their AFF Women’s Futsal Championship account the next day, November 17, at 4 p.m.

Vietnam also battles Indonesia at 4 p.m. on November 18 and host the Philippines at 7 p.m. on November 19.

The much-anticipated rematch — and some wonder if this a previous of the finals — with Thailand at 4 p.m. of November 20.

The final day of competition is November 21, with the battle for third place being played at 4 p.m. The finals is at 7 pm.