Huynh Nhu and Ho Chi Minh City Club overcome challenges in Asian quarter-finals

Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club has finalized a 21-player roster for the AFC Women's Champions League 2025/2026 quarter-finals, where Coach Doan Thi Kim Chi's team will face Naegohyang (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

The 21-player roster combines experienced pillars, quality foreign players, and a group of young players with strong ambition.

Among them, forward Huynh Nhu continues to be the spearhead of the attack, carrying expectations to create breakthroughs on the continental stage.

To prepare for this crucial match,Ho Chi Minh City Women's Clubhas significantly strengthened its squad with three new foreign players.

Notably, forward Joelma Alves Gabriel (Brazil), an experienced player who has competed in many international tournaments, along with midfielder Israela Alicia Groves (Canadian of Jamaican descent) who possesses ideal physique and solid professional foundation.

Additionally, young American center-back Rielly Chesna Marie is expected to reinforce the defense. Furthermore, defender Samia Ouni has also returned, raising the total number of foreign players in the club to four.

According to Coach Doan Thi Kim Chi, the playing conditions in Laos are one of the major difficulties: "The reality of playing at 15:00 is a significant challenge because the weather is very intensely sunny. The opponent team has certainly studied us thoroughly, especially sinceHo Chi Minh City Women's Clubhas previously faced physical difficulties in matches held during midday."

Nevertheless, the entire team has prepared meticulously. After completing duties with the national team, the coaching staff quickly regrouped and began high-intensity training. The addition of foreign players was also calculated to enhance physical strength and squad depth, particularly in the context of many key players being older.

Evaluating the opponent, Coach Kim Chi is cautious: "Naegohyang is a strong team, playing very disciplined. They have many national team players and will be a major challenge for us."

The North Korean team is highly rated with robust physical conditioning and well-organized play. Choosing Laos as the venue also provides them with certain advantages regarding weather conditions and time zone.

However, Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club does not hide its determination to create a surprise. In the previous season, the team reached the semi-finals and only stopped before the champion Wuhan Jiangda. The experience from that campaign, combined with the strengthened squad, brings confidence to the players.

The Vietnamese club aims to advance beyond the quarter-finals, thereby affirming the status of the country's women's football on the continental stage.