Coach Mai Duc Chung candidly criticizes the Vietnamese national team, making surprising remarks about the Asian quarter-final ticket.

After the 0-1 defeat against the Chinese Taipei women's national team, Coach Mai Duc Chung provided candid comments on the team's display in their second group stage game of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

The 76-year-old strategist shared: “Clearly, the Vietnamese national team did not perform well today. The opposing team also showed fatigue in the second half, but we failed to capitalize on the opportunities. I would like to congratulate the Chinese Taipei women's football team on their victory. We were just slightly careless, a loss of focus led to the defeat.”

Regarding the reasons for the loss, Coach Mai Duc Chung stated: “Firstly, the hot weather significantly impacted the players' physical condition. Secondly, we lost composure; at certain moments, we couldn't maintain concentration, leading to poor coordination and inaccurate passes. These factors caused us difficulties in the match.”

“In the second half, the team played better and created more opportunities. However, due to inaccurate ball placement and lack of smooth coordination, the attacking plays were not highly effective. Additionally, players like Thanh Nha, Van Su, and Duong Thi Van were also affected by the hot weather, their stamina declined, resulting in noticeable fatigue.”

Regarding the possibility of advancing, Coach Mai Duc Chung said: “Currently, it is very difficult to calculate precisely because many factors remain unclear. We will strive in each match, as we said from the start of the tournament. We cannot rely on external factors; we must exert our own efforts.”

The Vietnamese women's national team has a decisive match against the Japanese national team on March 10 to determine their chances of advancing in this year's tournament.