They were playing well until the final minutes. The India women managed to hold Vietnam most part of the match and as the final whistle was to be blown, they conceded one more in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 on Wednesday.
To be fair with the team, despite trailing, they managed to make a comeback and equalise. And most of the time they also kept Vietnam at bay. But Nguyen Thi Van Su's two goals in the either halves for Vietnam made the different. Debutant Sanfida Nongrum (52’), who came off the bench in the second half, scored India's lone goal. As expected, Vietnam controlled more of the possession in the opening exchanges. India preferred to sit deep and hoped to attack in the counter.
India goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu Elangbam made an early save off Van Su, before India had their first opportunity in the eighth minute. Dangmei Grace chested down a high ball that fell in Sangita Basfore’s path. The latter, with time and space, struck it on the half volley, but it was straight at Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh.
In the 14th minute, a Sangita mispass afforded a golden opportunity to Vietnam, as Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy collected the ball and struck the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Panthoi made a few crucial saves in a period dominated by Vietnam, most notably keeping Bich Thuy out in the 27th minute with a sprawling save at the near post. Van Su opened the scoring three minutes later, when she ran on to a ball by Thai Thi Thao, and curled it in from just inside the penalty area, putting Vietnam in the lead.
India began to play long and wide into the Vietnam half. Manisha found Grace with a trivela aerial pass, which the latter chested down and gave chase to. Kim Thanh, however, collected it. India head coach Amelia Valverde made two changes at half-time, bringing on Sanfida for her debut, along with Rimpa Haldar. Grace and Soumya Guguloth, respectively, made way for them.
The side from Southeast Asia came out with some intent in the initial stages of the second half. Vietnam thought they had doubled the lead in the 49th minute, when a bit of confusion in the Indian penalty box saw Thi Thao put the ball in the net. She was, however, later deemed offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The Blue Tigresses’ half-time substitutions paid off soon enough, when debutant Sanfida levelled the score after Rimpa made a run from the left. While the ball was stolen from the latter, a deflection meant that the Vietnam clearance landed in front of Sanfida, who was quick to react to it and blasted it past Kim Thanh with her left foot.
India gained a lot of confidence from that goal and began to push Vietnam back into their half. A Rimpa cross was met with a header from Pyari Xaxa, but it was saved just past the hour mark. Minutes later, Sanfida produced a header off a Nirmala Devi cross that went over.
India: Panthoi Chanu Elangbam (GK), Sweety Devi Ngangbam (C), Shilky Devi Hemam, Sangita Basfore, Soumya Guguloth (Rimpa Haldar 46’), Sanju Yadav, Pyari Xaxa (Kaviya Pakkirisamy 79’), Grace Dangmei (Sanfida Nongrum 46’), Nirmala Devi Phanjoubam, Martina Thokchom, Manisha Kalyan (Lynda Kom Serto 90+2’).
SOURCE: AIFF