Striker Huynh Nhu netted a brace as Vietnam put in a scintillating display to trounce hosts Nepal 5-1 in the opening game of the first qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
The stark disparity between Vietnam‘s 33rd place and Nepal‘s 100th standing in the world ranking was evident at Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal during the game, with the visitors dominating from the outset.
As a result, Nepal suffered a 3-goal deficit in the first half.
Pham Hai Yen opened the scoring for Vietnam in the 11th minute, heading a cross from Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung into the far corner.
Vietnam doubled their tally in the 35th minute after the Nepali defender Samikshya Ghimire handled the ball inside the penalty box. Huynh Nhu showed no hesitation and confidently dispatched the spot kick.
The visitors extended their lead to 3-0 three minutes later, as Nepali defender Amrita Jaishi gifted them an unfortunate goal.
Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung passed the ball to Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, releasing it to the center. Unfortunately, the ball deflected off Jaishi, taking Anjila Tumbapo Subba by surprise and rolling in to the goalkeeper’s net.
Vietnam made it 4-0 just three minutes into the second half when skipper Huynh Nhu fired the ball into the back of the nets after receiving a cross from Hoang Thi Loan.
Sabitra Bhandari cut the deficit for the home team in the 79th minute.
Fed by Saru Limbu with a through ball at the edge of the box, Bhandari unleashed a shot that flew past the advancing goalkeeper Khong Thi Hang.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha scored an incredible goal from 35 yards out to give Vietnam a four-goal lead over Nepal. Subba, the Nepali goalkeeper, was unable to judge the trajectory of the ball correctly, allowing Nha to restore the impressive cushion.
Following the epic 5-1 play, the two teams are set for a thrilling rematch on Saturday. Both sides will be determined to outdo each other and reclaim the bragging rights. It promises to be a fascinating game, as both teams look to put their best foot forward and deliver a scintillating performance. The stakes are high and the fans will be eagerly awaiting the clash of these two titans.
Seven groups have been formed for the first round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) women’s football qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Each group will feature four teams, who will battle it out to secure a place in the second round of qualifying. The teams will contest an eight-match round-robin tournament, with the group winners advancing to the next stage. The second round of qualifying will be a knockout tournament to determine the five Asian representatives at the Paris Olympics.
This is an exciting opportunity for women’s football teams across Asia to make their mark on the international stage. The teams that progress through the qualification stages will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Japan and China, who both won medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. It will be a long and challenging journey for the teams involved, but one that could lead to glory in Paris.
Group C originally had four teams, but after Palestine and Afghanistan withdrew, Vietnam and Nepal have to play each other twice to decide who progresses to the next round.
The winners of each group progress to the second round, where they are to be joined by the five highest-seeded Asian teams — North Korea, Japan, Australia, China, and South Korea.
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