AFC Olympics Women’s football qualifiers 2024 : India suffer humiliating 3-1 loss to Vietnam

In a fiercely contested football match, the Indian women’s team suffered a challenging 3-1 defeat against Vietnam during their second Group C encounter within the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers’ second round. This thrilling showdown took place at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent on a pivotal Sunday, offering both heartache and glimpses of hope.

Vietnam’s football prowess was vividly on display as Huynh Nhu (4’), Tran Linh (22’), and Pham Hai Yen (73’) exhibited clinical finishing to assert their dominance. India, however, managed to salvage a measure of pride as Sandhiya Ranganathan (80’) found the back of the net to register India’s lone goal.

#BlueTigresses' 🇮🇳 late rally fails to stop Vietnam 🇻🇳

Read more 👉🏽 https://t.co/yi8RakL4Dn#INDVIE ⚔️ #Paris2024 🏅 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/1RGtJV0T1m

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 29, 2023

Unfortunately, this loss significantly diminishes the Indian women’s football team’s chances of progressing to the third and final round of the Olympic qualifiers for Paris 2024, scheduled for February. The qualification criteria dictate that only the top teams from Groups A to C, along with the best runners-up, will secure coveted berths.

Presently, India finds itself at the bottom of Group C, with no points earned from two challenging encounters. In stark contrast, the other three teams in the group—Uzbekistan, Japan, and Vietnam—have each accumulated three points.

Vietnam, currently ranked 34th in FIFA‘s women’s football rankings, wasted no time in taking the lead within the first five minutes of the match. Nguyen Dung’s blistering run down the right wing set the stage for Huynh Nhu, who displayed remarkable heading accuracy to beat the Indian goalkeeper, Elangbam Panthoi.

Not the result we were looking for 😞#INDVIE ⚔️ #Paris2024 🏅 #BlueTigresses 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/pfSfV2xhT1

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 29, 2023

Despite their unwavering efforts, the Indian team, positioned at the 61st spot in FIFA rankings, found it challenging to match the pace and intensity of the Vietnamese players, who consistently pressed forward and created chaos in the Indian half. Huynh Nhu, in particular, came agonizingly close to securing a hat-trick within the first 15 minutes. Her header struck the post, providing a sigh of relief for the Indian side.

The Vietnamese team continued to dominate proceedings and eventually notched their second goal through Tran Linh, who expertly connected with Nguyen Thuy’s precise cross. India’s solitary notable chance of the first half occurred in the 36th minute when Anju Tamang controlled Ritu Rani’s cross near the opposition goal, but the opportunity was cleared before she could capitalize on it.

In the second half, India’s head coach, Thomas Dennerby, made a couple of strategic substitutions in an attempt to curtail Vietnam’s dominance. Sangita Basfore and Astam Oraon were introduced into the fray, replacing Bala Devi and Ashalata Devi. However, these changes did little to bolster India’s offensive capabilities, as Vietnam continued to press relentlessly and pinned the Indian players in their own half.

Around the 75-minute mark, Vietnam extended their lead to 3-0, with Pham Hai Yen once again demonstrating her prowess with a well-executed header. Nevertheless, India managed to pull one back with 10 minutes of regulation time left, as Sandhiya Ranganathan found the back of the net, marking India’s first goal of the tournament.

Looking ahead, the Indian women’s football team is scheduled to face Uzbekistan in their next fixture, to be held at the Milliy Stadium on Wednesday. It’s worth noting that India’s journey to the second round of the AFC Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament was highlighted by their dominant performances against the Kyrgyz Republic, securing victories with scores of 5-0 and 4-0 in the two-legged playoff held in Bishkek back in April.

Remarkably, while the Indian men’s football team has made four appearances at the Olympic Games, the Indian women’s football team is yet to realize their aspiration of debuting at this prestigious quadrennial event, underscoring the significance of this ongoing pursuit within the realm of women’s football in India.