AFC and international media praise the Vietnamese national team for their dramatic victory in the Women's World Cup qualifiers.

Van Su receives commendation from AFC and international press following her double that secured a 2-1 win for the Vietnamese women's team against India in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, which is a qualifying event for the Women's World Cup.

The Vietnamese women's team secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over India in the group stage of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup on the evening of March 4th, thanks to a brace from Ngan Thi Van Su. Facing a well-matched opponent, coach Mai Duc Chung's side started confidently and controlled the game. In the 14th minute, Bich Thuy's long-range shot hit the crossbar, issuing a warning to the Indian defense. In the 31st minute, Van Su opened the scoring with a beautiful strike into the far corner.

In the second half, Vietnam had the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed after VAR consultation ruled that Thanh Nha handled the ball. In the 56th minute, following a defensive error by Vietnam, Nongrum scored the equalizer for India, making it 1-1. In the final moments, when the match seemed destined for a draw, Huynh Nhu provided the assist for Van Su to score in the 90+4th minute, sealing a nail-biting victory for Vietnam.

After the match, the AFC Asian Cup's official account posted a status in Vietnamese, mentioning player Van Su with a play on words: "Vietnam 2-1 India. A joyful start, EVERYTHING (Van Su) goes as wished."

The India Today from India commented: "The Indian women's team's 2026 Women's Asian Cup finals campaign began in the worst possible way as they lost 1-2 to the Vietnamese women's team in Perth, with a late goal deciding the match's outcome."

The newspaper praised the performance of the Vietnamese women's team: "The Vietnamese women's team was the more composed side in the first half, holding the ball confidently and launching sharp counter-attacks. Van Su opened the scoring with a superb curling shot into the top right corner after bursting past the Indian defense."

The Indian newspaper continued: "Before the match, key players like Manisha Kalyan, Sweety Devi, and Dangmei Grace had sent an official letter to the AIFF demanding urgent intervention regarding kit issues. Nevertheless, India improved after the break. Coach Valverde made two substitutions, bringing on Sanfida Nongrum and Rimpa Haldar, injecting more energy into the side. Nongrum pulled a goal back shortly after coming on with a clever finish."

"Subsequently, the Indian team equalized when Nongrum scored again, capitalizing on a counter-attack following a favorable foul. An improbable comeback, which seemed unlikely in the first half, suddenly became possible. Just as India was regaining their rhythm, Van Su scored once more to restore Vietnam's lead. Left unmarked in the box, she calmly finished, punishing the opponent's defensive error," wrote India Today .

"The Indian team pushed for a late equalizer but was unsuccessful. This marks a disappointing start for the 'Blue Tigresses' (nickname of the Indian women's team) in the tournament," concluded the Indian newspaper.

Meanwhile, the Outlookindia wrote: "Van Su's brace handed the 'Blue Tigresses' their first defeat of the tournament."

This newspaper commented: "The Indian women's team started quite positively, but Vietnam gradually took control of the match. The side in red dominated the midfield and created numerous chances, forcing goalkeeper Panthoi into repeated saves."

"Ultimately, the Vietnamese women's team broke the deadlock when Van Su scored the opening goal. Early in the second half, a goal for Vietnam was disallowed. Shortly after, Nongrum scored the equalizer, bringing India back on level terms. When the match seemed headed for a draw and India was defending proactively, Van Su scored again, helping Vietnam regain the lead and secure the final victory."

The Canberratimes from Australia published an article with the headline: "Van Su nets a double, Vietnam triumphs over the Indian women's team in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup."

"Ngan Thi Van Su became Vietnam's hero in their Women's Asian Cup opener by scoring in the 90+4th minute, completing her brace and helping her team secure a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Indian team in Perth," affirmed the Australian newspaper.

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