Vietnam women's football team makes history in Asian tournament; Norway wins big in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Ho Chi Minh City Club enters the semi-finals of the Asian Women's Cup; Goalkeeper Dinh Trieu admits his mistake; Norway wins big in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers... are notable sports news in the past 24 hours.
Ho Chi Minh City Club makes history in Asian tournament
Ho Chi Minh City Club faced Abu Dhabi (UAE) in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup C1 (AFC Women's Champions League). The Vietnamese representative faced a big challenge when they were 3 goals behind in the first half. However, with a resilient fighting spirit, Huynh Nhu and her teammates created a spectacular comeback to win a ticket to the semi-finals.
The home team had a hard time against Abu Dhabi's physical attack, especially the attackers from Ghana. In the 3rd minute, Princella Adubea broke through and scored accurately, opening the score for the away team. In the first half, Ho Chi Minh City FC continued to concede two more goals, falling into a very disadvantageous situation.
Entering the second half with a score of 0-3, coach Doan Thi Kim Chi and her team refused to accept defeat. In just 30 minutes, Ho Chi Minh City FC scored 5 goals in a row, completing an incredible comeback. K'Thua and Chuong Thi Kieu scored in turn, narrowing the score to 2-3, lighting up hope for the home team. Although Abu Dhabi restored the 2-goal gap with a goal by Eugenia Tetteh (4-2), Ho Chi Minh City FC did not give up. Two classy long-range shots by Tran Nguyen Bao Chau and Ngo Thi Hong Nhung helped the Vietnamese team tie the score 4-4 amid the excitement of the audience at Thong Nhat Stadium.
The turning point came in the 90th minute, when an Abu Dhabi defender fumbled into his own net after a long pass from Ho Chi Minh City FC, helping the home team take a 5-4 lead. Nine minutes of stoppage time were not enough for the UAE representative to find an equalizer. Ho Chi Minh City FC even nearly scored another goal when Tran Thi Thuy Trang put the ball in the net, but the referee determined it was offside.
With a dramatic 5-4 victory, Ho Chi Minh City FC officially won a ticket to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup C1, becoming the first Vietnamese team in history to be in the top 4 of this prestigious tournament. The next opponent of coach Doan Thi Kim Chi and her team will be the winner of the match between Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and Wuhan Jiangda (China) on February 23.
Goalkeeper Dinh Trieu admits mistake
Goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu admitted his mistake in the goal conceded against Cambodia on March 19.
"The goal was lost for two reasons: first, I did not choose a good position and retreated to close the angle; second, the pressure from the defenders on the opponent was not strong enough. The coaching staff pointed out the areas that need improvement, and the whole team will try to limit mistakes in the upcoming matches," Dinh Trieu shared during the training session on the afternoon of March 22 of the Vietnam team.
In the friendly match against Cambodia, Vietnam conceded a goal after a long-range shot from Bong Samuel, ending their 8-year streak of keeping a clean sheet against this opponent. However, Hai Long and Van Vi shined, helping the home team win 2-1.
Vietnam will face Laos in the opening match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on March 25. Dinh Trieu highly appreciated his opponent: "Laos has naturalized 3 more players, and we will study carefully to find ways to overcome their strengths."
2025 National Volleyball Championship kicks off
On the evening of March 22, at the Dong Anh District Multi-purpose Gymnasium (Hanoi), the 2025 National Volleyball Championship officially opened with the participation of 16 clubs (8 men's, 8 women's), two teams less than last season.
According to the competition format, the teams will play a round robin, with the top four teams advancing to the finals and the bottom four teams competing in the relegation round. Each event will have one club relegated.
On the opening day, the tournament witnessed many surprises. The runner-up Sanest Khanh Hoa lost 1-3 to Lavie Long An, while LPB Ninh Binh lost 0-3 to Ho Chi Minh City Police.
According to the schedule, the reigning men's champion Border Guard MB will meet The Cong - Tan Cang at 7:30 p.m. on March 23, while the women's team VTV Binh Dien Long An will face Geleximco Thai Binh at 5 p.m. the same day.
MU and Arsenal target suspended again
Wolves striker Matheus Cunha has been banned for three matches and fined £50,000 by the FA after an altercation during a match against Bournemouth. This is the second time this season he has been fined.
Referee Sam Barrott showed Cunha a red card after he headbutted and kicked defender Milos Kerkez. Cunha reacted violently, forcing his teammates to drag him into the tunnel.
Cunha will miss the games against West Ham and Ipswich before returning to action against Tottenham on April 13. He was previously banned for two games and fined £80,000 for an altercation with Ipswich staff in December.
Cunha is contracted to Wolves until 2029, but could leave the club at the end of the season. Manchester United and Arsenal are monitoring the Brazilian striker's situation closely.
Norway wins big in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Norway got off to an impressive start in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a 5-0 thrashing of Moldova in their European Group I match.
With a superior force, Norway quickly dominated the game and opened the scoring in the 5th minute thanks to Ryerson. In the 23rd minute, Haaland doubled the gap after an accurate cross from Schjelderup. Before the end of the first half, Aasgaard and Sorloth scored two more goals, helping Norway lead 4-0.
In the second half, the away team proactively slowed down the pace, but still scored another goal to make it 5-0 in the 60th minute thanks to Donnum.
With this victory, Norway temporarily leads Group I. Israel is second with 3 points, while Estonia and Moldova have no points. In the next match on March 26, Norway will play away to Israel, while Moldova will face Estonia.