Female players called up to U20 squad for Asian tournament
Akira Ijiri, head coach of the Vietnamese women’s football U20 team, has officially announced the 28-player squad for the final round of the 2024 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup, which will take place in Uzbekistan from March 3-16.
The squad comprises outstanding players, including Le Thi Bao Tram, Ho Thi Thanh Thao and Tran Nhat Lan from Vietnam Coal and Mineral FC; Nguyen Phuong Thao and Le Thi Thu from Ha Nam Sports Training Centre; and Truong Thi Hoai Trinh and Le Thi Thom from Hanoi Sports Training Centre.
Key players such as Ngoc Minh Chuyen and Vu Thi Hoa, who won the Golden Ball awards in 2023, have also made it to the squad.
Furthermore, players from Thai Nguyen T&T, Ho Chi Minh City and Son La Clubs are also featured.
Captain Tram expressed her excitement, saying: "I am very happy to be part of the list of 28 players preparing for the Asian Cup. My first goal is to secure a spot in the final list of 23 players participating in the tournament in Uzbekistan. In 2023, the Vietnamese senior women's team competed in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Despite being underdogs, we always fought with great spirit for the Vietnamese national flag. We will strive to learn from them and follow in their footsteps."
Despite the cold weather in Hanoi, the team continue to actively practise and diligently follow the coaching staff's training plans, with two sessions per day, aiming to be fully prepared for the Asian event.
"Certain coaches have different football philosophies. There are differences at the club level, and when joining the national team, there are further differences. However, when we joined the U20 national team, we received tremendous support, and our football philosophy became more modern. The unexpected weather change did affect us to some extent since it was quite cold, but that wasn't a problem. We still made an effort to integrate and adapt as quickly as possible," Tram said.
In the 2024 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup, Vietnam finds themselves in Group B and will face defending champions Japan, second runners-up the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and 2006 champions China.
In Group A, hosts Uzbekistan will compete against the Republic of Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei.
The top four teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia as the AFC representatives.
