Vietnamese women's national team departs for SEA Games 33

Head coach Mai Duc Chung's players ate packed meals and took souvenir photos at Tan Son Nhat Airport before flying to Thailand for SEA Games 33, where they aim for a record fifth consecutive gold medal.

On the morning of 2/12, the team woke up early to board an 8h30 flight to Bangkok. From there, head coach Mai Duc Chung and his players will travel over 100 km by bus to Chonburi – the venue for women's football at SEA Games 33.

Vietnam currently dominates women's football with 8 gold medals, including four consecutive wins since the 2017 Games, all under head coach Mai Duc Chung. This year, the team hopes to extend their winning streak to five consecutive gold medals.

Due to their early departure, the players did not have time for breakfast at the hotel. The coaching staff prepared meals for them to eat in the waiting area before boarding the plane.

Head coach Mai Duc Chung sat in a separate corner.

Significant pressure rests on the 74-year-old strategist at these SEA Games, as he is without key players such as Chuong Thi Kieu, Nguyen Thi Van, and Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung.

Previously, at the send-off ceremony on the evening of 30/11, the women's national team and the Vietnam U22 team received a VND 500 million morale boost from a sponsor. Head coach Mai Duc Chung decided to donate VND 100 million from this amount to support flood victims in the Central region.

Meanwhile, the players appeared relaxed and eagerly posed for photos before their departure.

In preparation for SEA Games 33, Vietnam held a one-week training camp in Japan with 26 players. The team played friendly matches against two university women's teams: they secured a 3-0 victory against Aichi Toho and experienced a 1-2 loss to Shizuoka Sangyo.

The women's football event at SEA Games 33 features 7 participating teams. Vietnam is placed in Group B, where they will face Malaysia on 5/12, the Philippines on 8/12, and Myanmar on 11/12. Group A includes Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia, with Cambodia having withdrawn. Teams will compete in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals.

The final match is scheduled for 17/12.