Vietnam women's national team opponent goes big, training in Europe

India, the opponent of the Vietnam women's team, is currently engaged in a long-term training program in Europe to boost their squad, targeting qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

The Indian women's national team, a direct competitor of Vietnam in Group C of the 2027 Women's Asian Cup, is demonstrating strong determination in their quest to secure a place at the 2027 Women's World Cup. Instead of opting for a safe regional preparation, the South Asian team has proactively arranged a lengthy training stint in Europe, viewing it as a crucial step to elevate their technical level ahead of this pivotal continental tournament.

The 2027 Women's Asian Cup final tournament will be held from March 1 to 21, 2026, in Australia and serves as the direct qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup. According to the format, the top six teams will earn direct entry to the world's biggest women's football event, while the next two teams must enter intercontinental playoffs. This makes the 2027 Women's Asian Cup an extremely intense competition, where any mistake could cost a team their World Cup dream.

In this year's tournament, Vietnam's women's team is placed in Group C alongside Japan, Chinese Taipei, and India. Apart from Japan, which is considered far superior in quality, the other three teams are quite evenly matched, making the battle for the two remaining spots highly competitive. In this context, reaching the quarterfinals is regarded as the minimum goal for teams to keep their World Cup hopes alive, since only those advancing past this stage can continue competing for qualification.

With this determination, the Indian women's team departed early for a training camp in Turkey starting mid-January. During this period, the South Asian squad has played friendly matches against several women's clubs from countries with strong football traditions such as Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and Romania. These high-intensity games are expected to help Indian players improve their fitness, speed, and physicality—areas where they often face challenges when competing against stronger Asian teams.

Beyond investing in gameplay, the All India Football Federation made a significant move by appointing a new head coach, Amelia Valverde. The Costa Rican coach, who led her national team in the 2015 and 2023 Women's World Cups, brings valuable experience from top-level competitions. Additionally, the Indian women's team currently includes several players competing abroad, such as Aveka Singh and Manisha Kalyan, blending youthful energy with international experience.

India's women's football ambitions are even clearer when looking back at their history. Four years ago, they had high hopes for a World Cup spot as hosts of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup but were forced to exit early due to many players contracting COVID-19. That unfinished campaign became a crucial lesson, motivating India to prepare more thoroughly than ever for the 2027 Women's Asian Cup. For the Vietnam women's team,this opponent's strong rise will surely make the Group C competition more unpredictable and challenging.