Vietnam women's national team only celebrates Tet for 3 days due to World Cup goals

In order to concentrate entirely on the 2026 Women's Asian Cup finals, the Vietnam women's national team will reduce their Tet holiday duration.

Amid the vibrant Lunar New Year atmosphere everywhere, the Vietnam women's team has already switched into "training mode". While many families are busy preparing traditional cakes and festive meals, Huỳnh Như and her teammates have set aside their brief holiday to begin their quest for a ticket to the 2027 Women's World Cup – the biggest goal in the new cycle of Vietnamese women's football.

The decision to shorten the Tet break was made by coach Mai Đức Chung. Players are only allowed to return home for three days, from the 28th and 29th of the lunar month to the first day of Tet, before immediately resuming training from the second day. This is not due to being "overly eager to train," but because the upcoming schedule is very tight, requiring serious and continuous preparation.

According to the plan, from February 7 to February 14, 2026, the Vietnam women's team will travel to Shenzhen, China for training. During this period, the entire team will have two important practice matches against the China women's national team, scheduled for February 10 and 13. Notably, both matches will be held behind closed doors, without spectators or media, allowing the coaching staff to freely experiment with players and tactics.

This training trip is identified as a crucial stepping stone for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup campaign, the tournament that directly decides the World Cup qualification. According to the format, the top 6 Asian teams qualify directly for the World Cup finals, while the next 2 teams enter a risky intercontinental playoff.

At the Asian Cup finals, Vietnam women's team is placed in Group C with strong opponents: Japan, India, and Chinese Taipei. The group stage matches will take place in Perth, Australia, at Perth Rectangular Stadium on March 4, 7, and 10 — a dense schedule with high intensity and almost no margin for error.

Currently, the team maintains a roster of 28 players. After the national U19 women's championship concludes, the coaching staff plans to add some young talents to increase competition and squad depth. Leaving behind the festive Tet atmosphere, the Vietnam women's team is fully committed to one goal: to be ready to enter the continental stage with the aspiration to reach the World Cup once again.