Women's football squad hopes to fufill Cup dream
The national women's football squad have convened to prepare for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2014 finals where they have a chance of winning a berth to compete at the World Cup 2015 in Canada.
Chinese coach Chen Yun Fat has called up three new players for his 25-member squad – Pham Thi Tuoi of Phong Phu Ha Nam, Tran Thi Thuy Trang of Ho Chi Minh City and Khong Thi Hang of Vietnam Coal and Mineral.
The rest of the team features familiar faces including Dang Thi Kieu Trinh of HCM City, Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh of Hanoi 1, Nguyen Thi Nga of Hanoi 2 and Le Thi Thuong of Vietnam Coal and Mineral.
The coach has also included experienced fullback Chuong Thi Kieu of HCM City who played outstandingly in the first leg of the National Women's Football Championships.
According to Ngo Le Bang, General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation, the federation would spend VND12 billion (US$571,000) on training the players for the event.
The team will undergo physical training in Tam Dao district in Vinh Phuc province and in Da Lat city in Lam Dong province from March 13-28.
After that, the team will attend a 12 day training course at the Youth Football Training Centre in Hanoi before practising in China from April 11-25 and the Republic of Korea from April 26-May 8 where they will play friendly matches against local teams.
Vietnam are aiming to finish fifth at the Asian event which is scheduled to take place in HCM City from May 14–25 in order to qualify for the World Cup in 2015.
Vietnam's rivals in Group A are Japan, Australia and Jordan. Group B consists of the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand and Myanmar.