Vietnam national women's football coach warns players ahead of Tajikistan clash

"Tajikistan players have great physique, especially the defenders. They are good at aerial play and long ball but their skills are average. However, Vietnam still have to stay focused and be careful. We cannot let our guard down, because the goal is a victory to qualify," Chung said.

Vietnam are leading group B of Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers thanks to the previous thrashing 16-0 win against Maldives, while Tajikistan are behind after winning 4-0 against Maldives.

The game between Vietnam and Tajikistan will decide the only qualifying ticket of group B for Women’s Asian Cup 2022.

The two teams have never met before, but Vietnam are the favorite to win this game as they are 32nd in world rankings while Tajikistan are 132nd.

Despite being considered much stronger than the opponent, Vietnam still prepared carefully for the game. Coach Chung and staff have collected videos of Tajikistan’s recent games and analyzed them with the players.

"The opponent will play with a 4-4-2 formation so Vietnam players must focus on supporting each other, especially in aerial duels," Chung stressed.

Women’s Asian Cup will take place from Jan. 20 to Feb. 6. Eight teams have already qualified for the tournament, including Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Iran, Japan, Australia and China. The remaning three slots will be decided after the games of group A, B and D are concluded.