AFC directly addresses Vietnam's quarter-final chances following the 0-1 loss to Taiwan

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) stresses that the Vietnam women's team needs to exert maximum effort in the last round if they want to obtain a spot in the Asian Cup 2026 quarter-finals.

The homepage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) states that Taiwan (China)'s 1-0 victory over the Vietnam women's team has significantly altered the landscape of Group C in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026.

In the match report from Perth (Australia), AFC noted that the East Asian representative "rekindled hope" of advancing thanks to the sole goal by forward Su Yu-Hsuan in the 26th minute. The scoring moment, a close-range header, enabled Taiwan (China) to secure all three crucial points after their initial loss to the Japan women's team in the opening match.

According to AFC, Taiwan (China) started with high determination, employing a high-pressing style and generating considerable pressure on Vietnam's half from the early minutes. The opening goal came after an attacking combination on the left flank, when Saki Matsunaga's shot hit the crossbar before Su Yu-Hsuan quickly headed in the rebound to score.

The AFC homepage also acknowledged the efforts of the Vietnam women's team in the second half. After the break, coach Mai Duc Chung introduced Huynh Nhu and Tran Thi Hai Linh to bolster the attack, helping the red-shirted team perform more spiritedly and create several notable opportunities. However, the Vietnamese strikers lacked precision in decisive situations.

Notably, AFC highlighted that this result creates a turning point in the race for the advancing ticket in Group C. The page assessed that if Taiwan (China) wins against India in the next match, they are highly likely to secure a quarter-final spot.

Meanwhile, the loss to a direct competitor makes the chances of the Vietnam women's team more difficult. According to AFC, the squad under coach Mai Duc Chung will have to strive fully when facing the two-time champion Japan in the final round if they wish to keep their hopes of advancing alive.

"A victory over India on Tuesday will likely secure Taiwan's quarter-final ticket, while Vietnam will need to give their utmost effort to overcome the two-time champion Japan," AFC wrote.