FIFA hails Bich Thuy’s historic goal for women’s national team
VOV.VN - FIFA has hailed Vietnamese female footballer Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy after she scored a goal that saw Vietnam qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup which will take place in Australia and New Zealand in the future.
In a recent interview with Bich Thuy, FIFA said that when she scored the most important goal in the history of Vietnamese women’s football in January she knew she’d finally fulfilled the dream of an entire nation, including that of her late father.
According to the website, this took place during a showdown for a place at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Chinese Taipei needed just a draw to progress whilst Vietnam required a win to reach the finals for the first time after six attempts. With the game poised at 1-1, substitute Bich Thuy snatched a victory for The Golden Girls.
“I still feel like it was a dream,” the 27-year-old midfielder told FIFA, "I am so lucky to have scored this decisive goal. We never though this could happen, but now we are in the Women's World Cup”.
Thuy noted in the interview that the strike in Navi Mumbai was her 11th goal for her country and one she dedicated to her late father who had encouraged her to keep going to achieve her footballing dreams.
The article shared that inspired by her father, Bich Thuy worked hard in training and in matches. After his passing during the qualifying campaign for the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio, she became the star of the national team and scored five times as Vietnam conquered the AFF Women's Championship in 2019.
In the preliminary qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup, the Vietnamese female player starred as a super sub, coming off the bench to bag a brace in a 7-0 rout of Tajikistan before her heroics against Chinese Taipei.
According to FIFA, the Vietnamese women’s football has developed a lot in recent years, with qualification for the global tournament in Australia and New Zealand resulting in facilities being upgraded and youth development plans improved throughout the country.
“I can see that things have changed a lot since we won the Women’s World Cup ticket,” says Thuy.
“The women's game is drawing increasing attention from all walks of life and there will be more girls involved in this game. Women's football will reach new levels in Vietnam. I want to showcase my best form in the Women’s World Cup and in particular, I hope I can score my first Women’s World Cup goal,” She concluded.
