Vietnam was chosen to host the 2014 Asian Cup Finals.

According to information from Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) officials, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially selected Vietnam as the host country for the 2014 Asian Women's Football Cup finals.

Playing at home will give the Vietnamese women's team extra strength to realize their dream of the 2015 World Cup - Photo: NK

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, head of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training and also a member of the AFC Executive Committee, said that immediately after the Vietnamese delegation arrived in Mauritius (Africa) - where the 63rd FIFA Congress was held - he took the opportunity to work with Mr. John Windsor, the AFC's Director of Competitions, regarding hosting the 2014 Asian Cup Finals. Mr. Tuan was informed by Mr. Windsor that the AFC had selected Vietnam to host the 2014 Asian Cup Finals.

Following FIFA's annual congress, the AFC will travel to Vietnam to inspect the stadiums and complete the necessary procedures before signing a contract with the VFF.

This is good news for Vietnamese women's football because, being selected, the Vietnamese women's team will have many advantages in competing for a ticket to the 2015 World Cup in Canada.

Currently, 7 out of 8 teams that will compete in the 2014 Asian Cup Finals have been determined: Vietnam (winner of Group C), Thailand (winner of Group B), Myanmar (winner of Group D), along with four teams that automatically qualified: defending champions Australia, Japan, China, and South Korea. The final team to participate in the Finals will be determined next June when the Group A qualifiers (comprising Uzbekistan, Jordan, Kuwait, and Lebanon) are played.

In the 2014 Asian Cup (scheduled to take place from May 14th to 25th), the eight participating teams will be divided into two groups, playing a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. These four teams will also automatically qualify for the 2015 World Cup. The two third-placed teams from each group will play a play-off match to determine the final team from the continent to qualify for the tournament in Canada.

With their superior strength compared to the remaining competitors, Australia, Japan, China, and South Korea are almost certain to secure the first four tickets to the 2015 World Cup finals. Meanwhile, Vietnam will compete with its two main rivals, Myanmar and Thailand, for the remaining spot.

It is understood that the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) will choose Japan as the location for the Vietnamese women's national team's long-term training camp in preparation for the 2014 Asian Cup.

According to Tuoi Tre - DT