Indian media stirred by Vietnam women's team's last-minute 'painful defeat'

Indian media widely commented after the heartbreaking loss to the Vietnam women's team, highlighting the decisive moment in the 90+4th minute that shattered all hopes.

The Vietnam women's team's 2-1 victory over India in the opening match of Group C at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup created significant reverberations. Ngân Thị Vạn Sự's opening goal in the 30th minute gave the "Golden Star Warriors" the advantage, but the real drama exploded in the second half with a nail-biting chase that lasted until the final moments of stoppage time.

When Sanfida Nongrum equalized for India at 1-1, the match became tense and emotionally charged. However, precisely in the 90+4th minute, Vạn Sự completed her brace, securing the 2-1 victory for the team in red. This result temporarily places the Vietnam women's team second in Group C, tied on 3 points with Japan but with an inferior goal difference.

After the match, Indian media unanimously expressed regret. The Times of India wrote: “The Indian women's team began their Asian Cup campaign with a narrow defeat to the Vietnam women's team. Despite conceding first, India managed to equalize in the second half. Unfortunately, India could not hold on for a point as Vạn Sự scored the decisive 2-1 goal for Vietnam in the 90+4th minute. This is a disappointing start for Coach Amelia Valverde's squad. The team risks elimination similar to the 2022 tournament.”

Meanwhile, NDTV emphasized the decisive moment in stoppage time: “India came agonizingly close to their first point at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. However, in the 4th minute of second-half stoppage time, Vạn Sự extinguished the dreams of the Indian girls. It was heartbreak for the Indian women's team and new coach Amelia Valverde.” This outlet also acknowledged the gap by mentioning the FIFA ranking difference, where India is ranked 67th while Vietnam is ranked 36th in the world.

On the other side, Coach Mai Đức Chung remained cautious despite securing all 3 points. He shared: “This was a match between two evenly matched teams. We were somewhat luckier to secure the win. This result will be a huge motivation for the Vietnam Women's Team on the road ahead.” The head coach also admitted the team lacked match practice after the Lunar New Year break.

Midfielder Ngân Thị Vạn Sự, the hero with the brace, affirmed the team's spirit: “The whole team played with over 200% effort. The coaching staff devised a suitable strategy for us to achieve a good result. When the unfortunate equalizer happened, we encouraged each other that there was still time and we needed to push even harder.” This victory opens up an important advantage for the Vietnam women's team ahead of the decisive next match.

In the second match, the Vietnam women's team will face Chinese Taipei at 12:00 on March 7th, which is expected to be the match deciding second place in Group C. Riding high on the thrilling victory, Coach Mai Đức Chung's team aims to secure all 3 points to solidify their position and move closer to a Women's World Cup spot.