Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Head coach Mai Duc Chung and his team on August 13 left forThailand for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship on August15-28.

The side, whorecently returned home after a 10-day training camp in Japan, have their sightsset on silverware.

Vietnam finishedthird at last year's event, which Thailand won by defeating U20 Australia3-2 in the final.

Chung was happy withhis players after five weeks training both at home and abroad, saying theyfaced quality teams in friendlies and improved remarkably.

“We have worked hardand prepared pretty well through our training, especially the 10 days inJapan,” Chung said.

The regional championshipincludes Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia in Group B, and Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore, East Timor and the hosts in Group A.

They will compete ina round robin format in the group stage with the two best teams in eachadvancing to the semi-finals.

“ASEAN teams knoweach other by heart. Among them, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar are the triovying for top place. However we cannot look down on anyone,” Chung said.

“To beat them Vietnamhave to fight in each individual match to earn a berth in the last match andthen win the final.”

Vietnam, the SEAGames champions, will play Cambodia in their first match on August 16.

“Cambodia have justset up their national women’s football team. They have not ever taken part inany competitions in the region like SEA Games and the AFF Championship. But wecannot underestimate them at all.”

The ASEANChampionship is an important warm-up for the team who will take part in theSoutheast Asian Games in November and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifier later.

World Cup opportunity

The world footballgoverning body FIFA has expanded the number of women's World Cup participantsfrom 24 to 32 for the 2023 tournament.

As a top six team inAsia the move gives Vietnam a golden opportunity to qualify for the firsttime in history.

Chung said the doorwas open but it was not easy to step through it.

“We really want toplay at the World Cup. However to reach that level we must prepare really well‘from top to toe’. We need good players, good facilities and need a long-termstrategy for that. It is the only way to have positive result, otherwise we maysuffer same situation with Thailand (losing 0-13 to the US) at the recent WorldCup in France,” Chung said.

“Look at Japan, theyspent 20 years to have such a good team.”

Chung alsoopened door for overseas Vietnamese players to join his team.

“I welcome them hometo strengthen the national team which lacks quality and technical players.While the training activities of local clubs and the VFF are not enough, theirreturn will be strong support for us,” he said.

Local media have reportedthat Vietnamese-American Le Chelsea Lien, 19, and her younger sister Kyah Le,16, want to play for Vietnam

Their match clipswere sent to Ijiro Akira, Japanese coach of the U19 team and the VietnamFootball Federation has agreed to trial them.

Lien is playing forSpokane Shadow in the American National Premier Soccer League.

Kyah took part atraining course at the Elite Soccer Skills Academy and was in the top 11 besttrainees.

Chung also said hecontacted a Vietnamese-Chinese player but has not received a response.-VNS/VNA