The host Thailand deliberately created difficulties for Vietnam at the AFF tournament.

The Vietnam women's futsal team was put at a disadvantage by host Thailand during the 2026 Southeast Asian Women's Futsal Championship.

2026 Southeast Asian Women's Futsal Tournament Schedule The schedule announced by host Thailand has placed the Vietnam women's futsal team in a challenging position, forcing them to play at unusual times and with a very tight match schedule.

Accordingly, Vietnam’s group has 4 teams, while Thailand’s group only includes 3 teams. This imbalance means Coach Nguyễn Đình Hoàng’s squad must play more matches and compete on consecutive days.

Moreover, all three group stage matches for the Vietnam women's futsal team are scheduled at 1:30 PM. This timing significantly affects their daily routines, recovery process, and preparation for each game.

Regarding these difficulties, Coach Nguyễn Đình Hoàng frankly stated that the schedule is unfavorable since the team must play three days in a row, all at midday. He emphasized that playing at this time disrupts training and rest, forcing the coaching staff to carefully manage players’ fitness, squad depth, training plans close to match time, and nutrition.

In fact, playing at 1:30 PM means the team may have to travel before 11:00 AM. Players must eat early, sometimes combining breakfast and lunch to maintain their condition, which adds pressure given the continuous matches.

According to the draw results, the Vietnam women's futsal team is in Group B along with Myanmar, the Philippines, and Australia; Group A consists of Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Coach Nguyễn Đình Hoàng assessed that the group with 4 teams is tougher due to more matches, noting that Myanmar and the Philippines have improved significantly, while Australia is a strong opponent promising a big challenge for Vietnam.