Coach Mai Duc Chung reveals resignation plan for Vietnam women's national team

After the loss to Japan in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, Coach Mai Duc Chung conveyed his disappointment and revealed his intention to depart from the Vietnam women's national team.

The 0-4 defeat to Japan in the final group stage match of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup concluded Vietnam women's national team's journey in the tournament. This result also meant that Coach Mai Duc Chung and his players failed to secure a quarter-final spot, simultaneously missing the opportunity to compete for a ticket to their second Women's World Cup in history.

Sharing after the match, Coach Mai Duc Chung acknowledged the disparity in skill level between the two teams, while also recognizing the efforts of his players. He stated: "The Japan women's national team possesses a very high level of skill, with a ranking far superior to ours. The Vietnamese women's players exerted their utmost effort. Given what they demonstrated today, I believe that is also worthy of acknowledgment."

The veteran coach also pointed out the physical difficulties the team encountered during the tournament. According to him, the previous match against Chinese Taipei caused the players to expend considerable energy, especially when competing under hot weather conditions, which significantly affected their ability to maintain intensity in the second half.

He analyzed: "In the match against Chinese Taipei, the players lost much energy due to playing under hot weather. By the second half of this match, the players' physical condition declined, so their activity intensity was no longer as good as in the first half. When our stamina dropped, Japan exploited the central area and both flanks extensively with wall passes and crosses into the box."

Without evading responsibility, Coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed that he himself bears the greatest responsibility for the team's performance. The strategist born in 1951 believes failure is unavoidable in football, especially when facing opponents of higher caliber.

He shared: "In sports, particularly football, there are always wins and losses. As the head coach, I must take responsibility for the team's results. When we lose, I must accept even more blame. Sometimes we meet opponents of comparable strength, sometimes we meet opponents stronger than us. Everyone desires victory, but when we cannot win, we must accept it and continue striving."

Notably, Coach Mai Duc Chung also disclosed his plan to leave the Vietnam women's national team after the 2026 Asian Games. His contract with the Vietnam Football Federation remains valid until after this tournament, and he wishes to complete his remaining duties before handing over the position to a successor.

He stated: "Encouraged by the VFF, I will persist until the 2026 Asian Games and then request to withdraw. I am very pleased that soon there will be someone to replace me to continue leading the Vietnam women's national team."

Additionally, the experienced coach emphasized the robust development of women's football in Asia in recent years. According to him, to continue competing, Vietnamese women's football needs to focus more on youth training and grassroots movement development.

He said: "We must continue working and striving harder, especially developing youth football. It is necessary to strengthen football in schools, training centers, and localities. When the grassroots movement strengthens, the national team's performance can improve."

The Vietnam women's national team stopping at the group stage also leaves Philippines as the sole Southeast Asian representative in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. This somewhat illustrates the increasingly fierce competition in Asian women's football at present.