Top 3 Ho Chi Minh City players to watch out for in East Bengal’s AFC Women's Champions League clash

Ho Chi Minh City were eliminated in the quarter finals of the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League

East Bengal Women, who successfully topped their group in the preliminary stage of the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League with 18 goals scored and none conceded across three games, will represent the Indian tricolour at the continental stage for the second consecutive season.

The 2026-27 Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions have been placed in Group B for the group stage, alongside Ho Chi Minh City, Hwacheon KSPO and April 25 SC. They will begin their campaign against Vietnamese side Ho Chi Minh City, who have travelled to Kolkata for the group-stage fixture.

Ho Chi Minh City have won the V-Women’s League for eight consecutive seasons and lifted the title 11 times in the last 12 seasons. They qualified for the tournament on the back of their domestic success and were among the six direct entrants who bypassed the preliminary stage to secure a place in the group stage.

In the recently concluded 2026 V-Women’s League, they won the title after going unbeaten through their first 10 games, recording nine wins and one draw. They then lost their final two matches after securing the championship. They scored 32 goals and conceded just seven, finishing with 26 points to clinch the title.

As East Bengal prepare for their clash against Ho Chi Minh City, let’s take a look at three players Anthony Andrews and his team must be particularly wary of to secure all three points, or at least a positive result.

Trần Thị Thu Xuân

Trần Thị Thu Xuân, who won the Best Player award in the 2026 V-Women’s League, is a versatile team player in the middle of the park for Ho Chi Minh City and plays a crucial role for the Vietnamese side.

Her strengths include her technical ability and composure to pick out the right passes despite intense pressure from opposition players. With exceptional vision, she can create chances and play line-breaking passes from different positions across the midfield.

She is not just about vision and chance creation; she also has a knack for scoring in the attacking third, having netted twice in the recently concluded domestic season.

Phan Thị Trang

Phan Thị Trang, an advanced midfielder for Ho Chi Minh City, keeps things ticking in the middle of the park with her link-up play and technical ability on the ball. She played a crucial role in her side’s record-extending 15th V-Women’s League Women’s triumph.

She is one of the best in the country at making well-timed runs into the opposition half, cutting off passing lanes and pressing opponents into making mistakes that she can potentially punish with goals.

She scored four goals during the domestic season and is also expected to have registered several assists, although confirmed numbers for that statistic are not readily available online.

Given her age and experience, she is expected to play a key role in Ho Chi Minh City’s upcoming group-stage campaign, not just against East Bengal but throughout the tournament.

K’Thủa

One of the Vietnamese side’s most in-form players, K’Thủa is in excellent form heading into the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League campaign.

An explosive winger with tremendous pace and the ability to burst into open spaces, she poses a significant threat to East Bengal’s defence with her runs and movement in the final third.

Despite her speed, she also brings a strong physical presence to her game, giving her an added advantage when taking on and outmuscling opposition full-backs. In the recently concluded 2026 V-Women’s League, she scored an impressive nine goals, including five in a single game.

Beyond her goalscoring, she has also played a crucial role in setting up goals, although exact assist figures are not officially available. She was also one of three goal scorers for Ho Chi Minh City during their run to the quarterfinals of the 2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League.

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