AFC unexpectedly sends a message to the Vietnam team ahead of the decisive match against Japan.

The Asian Football Confederation boosts morale for Coach Mai Duc Chung's squad before the crucial "life-or-death" match against Japan in the 2026 Asian Cup finals.

The AFC Asian Cup homepage recently posted an image of the Vietnam women's team ahead of their match against the Japan women's team. with the message: "Determined to achieve a miracle, awaiting the quarter-final entry." This is considered a significant morale boost for Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team before their chance to secure a quarter-final spot.

Specifically, the match against Japan at 4:00 PM on March 10 will be decisive for the red-shirted team's quarter-final ticket. After unexpectedly losing 0-1 in the second match, the Vietnam women's team faces the risk of early elimination from the continental tournament. Currently, the team has 3 points, a goal difference of 0, temporarily ranks third in Group C, and leads the ranking of the best-performing third-placed teams. However, since Uzbekistan has officially secured a quarter-final spot, the remaining third-place race belongs to Vietnam and Philippines.

In the final match, the most optimistic scenario for the Vietnam women's team is only losing to Japan by a one-goal margin. If the match ends with scores like 0-1, 1-2, or 2-3, Vietnam's goal difference will be -1, still better than Philippines' -2.

In this case, the Vietnam women's team would rank above Philippines in the third-place standings and secure a quarter-final spot. Of course, if they create a surprise with a draw or even a victory against Japan, their chance to advance becomes even more certain.

If the Vietnam women's team loses to Japan by a two-goal margin it would create a rather tense scenario. Then, the team's goal difference would drop to -2, equal to Philippines.

At this point, the next ranking criterion would be the number of goals scored. If Vietnam loses 0-2, both teams would have a goal difference of -2 and equal goals scored, AFC would need to consider other auxiliary indicators. If the auxiliary indicators between the two teams are equal, the organizers would have to draw lots to determine the advancing team.

In the worst-case scenario, Vietnam loses by three goals or more to Japan, we are highly likely to be eliminated.