The Indian Women’s U-20 Team will face Vietnam in the last match of Group F of the 2024 AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers Round 1 on Saturday at the Viet Tri Stadium in Viet Tri City, Vietnam, in a virtual final for a trip to the next stage.
Both India and Vietnam have six points after winning their opening two games against Indonesia and Singapore, respectively. The hosts lead the standings with a goal differential of +14. (3-0 vs. Indonesia and 11-0 vs. Singapore).
India has a +13 goal differential (7-0 vs. Singapore and 6-0 vs. Indonesia). That gives Vietnam an edge since a draw on Saturday would be enough to qualify as group champions, but only a victory will do for India.
“We were sure of a win heading into this match, and the squad performed extremely well,” midfielder Kajol Dsouza said following India’s 3-0 triumph against Indonesia on Thursday. Thus far in the qualifiers, six different scorers have hit the net, which would satisfy head coach Maymol Rocky.
Nonetheless, the margin of victory for the Indians may have been greater if the finishing had been better, but Rocky is now just looking for a win in the crucial match against Vietnam, who showcased their strength in an 11-0 hammering of Singapore on Thursday.
“It will not be simple to defeat Vietnam. We’ve seen their games. Because of the crowd, they have 12 players on the field,” “Rocky said.
The Indian coach is aware that the challenge would be difficult against the hosts, who are aiming for their third consecutive qualification to the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup.
“We’ve been preparing for this huge game since we were in camp in India. Tomorrow will be a semi-final for both teams,” she said.
The group winner will advance to Round 2 of the qualifications, which will be held in June to determine
The final eight teams for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup, which will be hosted in Uzbekistan next year, have been announced.
The match between Vietnam and India in the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers Round 1 will begin at 4:30 p.m. IST and will be aired live on the VFF YouTube Channel.
