Coach Mai Duc Chung was not satisfied with the 5-1 victory

On the Dashrath field, Vietnam kicked the host's feet. The team won Nepal 5-1 thanks to a brace from striker Huynh Nhu and goals from Pham Hai Yen, Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy and Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha. However, coach Mai Duc Chung is not satisfied. After the match, he said: "The team won, but there were still some situations where the coordination was not good. The team scored 5 goals but it was only a relative number, it needs to be overcome more."

Coach Mai Duc Chung especially noted the defense: "In this match, the team conceded a goal. We will review and learn from experience."

In the first half, the team had two negligent play situations, almost conceding a goal. In the 9th minute, Tran Thi Thu Thao and Hoang Thi Loan lacked observation, leaving the ball for goalkeeper Khong Thi Hang. As fast as cutting, Amisha Karki rushed down to face the Vietnamese goalkeeper. However, No. 19's shot went over the bar. In the 34th minute, Tran Thi Thu and Le Thi Diem My hesitated to give up the ball to each other, allowing Karki to take advantage of the opportunity to finish close to the city but could not win against Khong Thi Hang.

In the second half, the Vietnamese women's team lost a goal in the 79th minute. Hoang Thi Loan lost the ball to give Nepal a chance to counterattack quickly. The duo of central defenders Diem My and Tran Thi Thu clamped Sabitra Bhandari but still let the opponent escape, defeating goalkeeper Khong Thi Hang.

"Anyway, the defense is also being affected because of the injuries of some pillars. The reserve players have not shown themselves," Mr. Mai Duc Chung explained. "I believe that the SEA Games and the World Cup will come here, and the Vietnamese women's team will have a stronger force."

The Vietnamese women's team currently lacks Chuong Thi Kieu, the central defender who commands the defense. She has not fully recovered from surgery on both knees in September 2022 and is racing against time to be able to return to the 32nd SEA Games.

Coach Mai Duc Chung also gave some reasons why the Vietnamese women's team did not play as well as expected. Firstly, the team is not familiar with the field. Dashrath court is a bit hard, so the team's passes are not good, the bounce of the ball is also higher than usual. Second, the Vietnamese women's team has only been to Nepal for two days, not used to a place with a higher altitude than Vietnam, the air is thin.

Group C originally had 4 teams, but Palestine and Afghanistan withdrew, so only Nepal and Vietnam played two rounds to choose the next team. The second leg will take place on April 8. Coach Mai Duc Chung said that despite winning 5-1 in the first leg, the team should not be subjective. "The players still have to focus, try to show their best," he said.

Coach Mai Duc Chung also gave his opponent many compliments from Nepal. He said: "As judged from the beginning through the video of the match between Nepal and India, the opposing players have shown good spirit. They have a striker wearing the number 9 shirt with strong physicality, Tactical techniques have lines. Nepal's goalkeeper also plays well. Because if Nepal doesn't have a good goalkeeper, they probably lose even harder."