Special honor of coach Mai Duc Chung
Coach Mai Duc Chung is a monument of Vietnamese women's football, when he and the women's team dominated the SEA Games, won the AFF Cup, won fourth place at the 2014 ASIAD, fifth place at the 2022 Asian Cup and won a ticket to the 2023 World Cup. Mr. Chung was also successful with men's football, when he coached the Vietnamese team (in an interim position) through a difficult period, or with Binh Duong Club reached the semi-finals of the 2009 AFC Cup.
With his persistent contributions to Vietnamese football, coach Mai Duc Chung has been proposed for the title "Hero of Labor".
Coach Mai Duc Chung
Strategist of the Vietnamese women's team: "When I heard that I was asked for opinions to propose this title, I was very happy. Because it is not always the case that someone from the sports industry is considered. I know that Mr. Hoang Vinh Giang (the late chairman of the Vietnam Olympic Committee) is a person from the sports industry who was awarded the title of Hero of Labor.
Now, I have been approved. I am very excited to hear that news and tell myself to try harder to help Vietnamese women's football progress."
Vietnam women's team plays China, Uzbekistan
The Vietnamese women's team will gather again from October 9 to October 30 with 23 players. Of which, players from the Thong Nhat Sports Center (HCMC) will gather on October 13, after completing the group stage of the Asian C1 tournament.
In this training session, fitness expert Cedric Roger will return to support coach Mai Duc Chung, along with assistants Doan Minh Hai, Doan Thi Kim Chi, Nguyen Thi Kim Hong and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh.
On October 22, the whole team will leave for China for training, focusing on two friendly matches against China and Uzbekistan.
"I would like to thank the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for creating conditions for the Vietnamese women's team to go to China for training and to participate in the tournament. The women's team has many young faces, who are being gathered to prepare for important tournaments in 2025. We will arrange for young players who have progressed and are in good form to join the older players on the field. I have been following the national U.19 tournament and am targeting some players for next year's training session.
Coach Mai Duc Chung is devoted to Vietnamese women's football
The Vietnamese women's team will play friendly matches with hosts China and Uzbekistan. In particular, against Uzbekistan, we lost to them 0-1 in the Paris Olympic qualifiers. I will not forget that match. Uzbekistan women's football has improved and is our opponent competing for a World Cup ticket. The opponent is tall, strong and physically fit. The upcoming matches will help the Vietnamese women's team compete and gain experience. The players will understand what they lack to supplement for next year, with 3 qualifying rounds for the Asian Cup 2026, AFF Cup 2025 and SEA Games 33," coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed.
Responding to Thanh Nien Newspaper about the race for World Cup tickets, Coach Mai Duc Chung emphasized: "The race for World Cup tickets is very difficult, not easy for the Vietnamese women's team anymore. Opponents are investing heavily in women's football, including Southeast Asia, not to mention Asia. The Philippines and Singapore have naturalized players, not to mention Thailand, the host of the SEA Games. In Asia, in addition to Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, there are now the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan, Iran... competing for tickets with Vietnam.
The Vietnamese women's team needs a generation of young players to work alongside their seniors to improve their performance. Of course, in football, every match is difficult. Men's football or women's football is the same. However, the Vietnamese women's team has a determined spirit. Yesterday, in an online meeting with international football federations, they highly appreciated the Vietnamese women's team, not in terms of expertise, but in terms of spirit and will. International experts have recognized this advantage of ours, which is very encouraging. The players need to practice systematically, especially in terms of physical strength, to have more strength to overwhelm their opponents."
Coach Mai Duc Chung and the women's team prepare for 3 tournaments in 2025
Coach Mai Duc Chung is also concerned that the Vietnamese women's team has not yet found a reliable face to replace the role and influence of Huynh Nhu, in the context of the striker born in 1991 being absent for personal reasons.
"In football, it is very difficult to find a replacement, especially for Vietnamese women's football, it takes a long time to have a player like Huynh Nhu. Or before, there were Luu Ngoc Mai, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet. After so much time and years, there is a player like that. Not everyone can have a full squad just because they want to. There are times when players are injured, busy with personal or family matters, so being absent is normal. However, we always want to find players who are suitable for the team and have the best form to compete," coach Mai Duc Chung emphasized.
Many people support coach Mai Duc Chung to receive the title of Hero of Labor
According to the students and colleagues of the coach born in 1951, Mr. Mai Duc Chung deserves the title of Hero of Labor for his persistent contributions to Vietnamese football.
"I have attended many women's football tournaments, followed the training process of the women's team and saw that coach Mai Duc Chung has a special connection with women's football. Perhaps he saw the hardships of women in sports in general, football in particular, so he sympathized, shared, understood, and taught them. I think coach Mai Duc Chung's contributions are difficult to measure. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the sports industry always show gratitude to coach Mai Duc Chung. I hope that the leaders of the Party and State will consider awarding coach Mai Duc Chung with noble titles, worthy of his contributions to sports in general and football in particular," said Deputy Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training Le Thi Hoang Yen.
Head coach of Thai Nguyen T&T Club, Van Thi Thanh, said: "We always consider coach Mai Duc Chung as a teacher and a father. Any title that can be given to him is completely worthy."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-mai-duc-chung-duoc-xet-tang-danh-hieu-anh-hung-lao-dong-toi-rat-phan-khoi-185241009111233778.htm
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