The first move of Coach Mai Đức Chung while still leading the Vietnam women's national team

Following the contract extension with VFF, Coach Mai Đức Chung promptly sought out additional new players for the Vietnam women's national squad.

On the afternoon of January 7, the National U19 Women's Championship – Acecook Cup 2026 officially kicked off at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. This year’s tournament gathers five of the top female football training academies nationwide, including Hanoi, Phong Phú Hà Nam, Ho Chi Minh City, Thái Nguyên T&T, and Vietnam Coal and Mineral. The teams will compete in a double round-robin format, with the first leg held from January 7 to 20 in Hanoi and the second leg from January 27 to February 7 at Hà Nam Stadium.

A notable highlight at the opening ceremony was the presence of the head coach of the Vietnam women's national team, Mai Đức Chung, alongside the U16 women's head coach, Okiyama Masahiko. At 76 years old, the veteran coach remains dedicated in the stands with an important goal: to scout promising young talents to nurture for the national team, preparing for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup campaign aiming to compete for a spot in the 2027 World Cup.

Regarding his strategic vision, Coach Mai Đức Chung emphasized that tournaments from U14 to U22 levels are the vital foundation of Vietnamese women's football. He stated that this is a professional model successfully applied by football powerhouses. In Vietnam, this pathway has been steadily maintained for the past five years and is beginning to show positive signs for generational transition.

The experienced strategist also highlighted that the U19 tournament is a "gold mine" for talent selection, as most of the country's outstanding female football stars have risen from this competition. The national team’s coaching staff will closely monitor each match to directly evaluate and recommend the best players for higher levels.

Regarding personnel plans for the upcoming Asian Cup finals in Australia, Coach Mai Đức Chung revealed that he has identified several potential candidates. However, instead of calling them up early, he prefers to let the young players complete the U19 tournament to accumulate match experience and competitive maturity. According to him, playing in the proper age group environment helps these players build the strongest mindset before taking on responsibilities in the national team.