AFC Women’s Asian Cup: Vietnam edge past India in opener; Japan next challenge

India showed resilience but ultimately fell short as Vietnam secured a 2–1 victory in stoppage time in their opening match of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup at Perth Rectangular Stadium.

For a brief spell between the 65th and 75th minutes, India looked capable of pulling off an upset. After a difficult first half, they matched Vietnam’s intensity in the second and appeared the stronger side both in and out of possession. However, the experienced Vietnamese side regained control late on, and Ngan Thi Van Su scored the decisive goal in the 94th minute to seal the win.

Coach Amelia Valverde opted for a 4-4-2 formation in the first half, a setup that left India’s midfield stretched. With Shilky Devi Hemam and Sangita Basfore as the central pair, India struggled to cope with Vietnam’s pressing and frequent interceptions. Vietnam took the lead in the 30th minute when Van Su finished after Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy slipped past the Indian defence and delivered the assist.

India’s best opportunity of the first half came through Manisha Kalyan, who controlled a long ball and released Soumya Guguloth behind the defence, but the move ended after a collision with the Vietnamese goalkeeper.

Valverde made key adjustments after the break, introducing Rimpa Haldar and debutant Sanfida Nongrum. India received a reprieve early in the second half when Vietnam had a goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Moments later, Nongrum capitalised on a loose pass, sprinted past the defence and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to equalise just minutes into her debut. The goal energised India, who pressed aggressively and created problems for the Vietnamese backline.

Goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu produced several crucial saves, including denying Van Su in the 76th minute after a dangerous run through the defence. But Vietnam eventually broke through in stoppage time when Nguyen Thi Hoa squared the ball into the box, and Van Su calmly slotted home the winner.

India will now face Japan, who began their campaign with a 2–0 win over Chinese Taipei, on Saturday in Perth before taking on Chinese Taipei in their final Group C match on Tuesday.