India begin World Cup quest with historic AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 campaign opener against Vietnam

Vietnam and India clash in crucial Group C opener at AFC Women’s Asian Cup

The India Women’s Football Team is ready to kick off their 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign when they face off against a charged-up Vietnam at the Perth Rectangular Stadium on Wednesday, 4 March (2026).

After fighting their way to qualifying for the tournament, the Blue Tigresses look to produce an efficient performance against a dangerous Vietnam side and get a positive result to kick off their Women’s Asian Cup campaign in style.

The Stakes

Vietnam

Vietnam had a pretty good outing at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, reaching the quarter-finals and fighting their way to a respectable finish. However, they are determined to better that in the 2026 edition and know the importance of winning the first game in order to get out of the group stages.

The Golden Star Women Warriors will be fighting hard to put the pressure on the Indian players, as they look to be quick and precise with their attacking build-up play and ruthless with finishing off chances to out their opponents.

A commanding win for the Vietnamese women’s side will definitely be a confidence booster in giving them the belief to go far into the tournament, but dropping points to India in the first game itself could deal a blow to their hopes of getting out of the group.

India

The Indian women’s team have qualified for their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup in the 2026 edition, and they will look to make themselves proud in the tournament.

Even though the Blue Tigresses are firmly the underdogs of their group, they’ll look to use that to their advantage and utilise their surprise factor to produce some stellar performances in the competition.

India are well aware of how dangerous the Vietnamese women’s side can be, as they’ll need to be at their sturdiest defensively and also take their chances perfectly in the counter-attacks.

Suppose Amelia Valverde is able to guide India to a possible win against Vietnam in their first match; that itself would be an amazing result and give the players all the momentum they need to produce something special in the tournament. However, a crushing loss in the first game can be demoralising and something the players would want to avoid.

Team News

Vietnam have named a strong 26-woman side to participate in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Amelia Valverde suffered a setback to her squad before the tournament, with midfielder Anju Tamang ruled out of the tournament with an injury. Apart from that, she should have a fully fit unit for this first game.

Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played – 5

Vietnam wins – 4

India wins – 0

Draw – 1

Predicted Lineups

Vietnam (4-2-3-1):

Tran Kim Thanh (GK), Le Diem My, Tran Thi Duyen, Tran Thi Thu, Luong Thi Thu Thuong, Nguyen Bich Thuy, Than Thi Thao, Duong Thi Van, Nguyen Thanh Nha, Ngan Van Sur, Pham Hai Yen

India (4-2-3-1):

Panthoi Chanu (GK), Sanju Yadav, Sweety Devi, Shilky Devi, Martina Thokchom, Sangita Basfore, Aveka Singh, Soumya Guguloth, Lynda Kom, Manisha Kalyan, Pyari Xaxa

Players to Watch

Pham Hai Yen (Vietnam)

Pham Hai Yen has gained a ton of experience in international football while playing for the Vietnam national women’s team, as she’s been playing for them since 2011. The 31-year-old has already scored 59 goals in 98 appearances for the Golden Star Women Warriors and is currently the third-top goalscorer in the history of the Vietnam women’s national team.

Yen has gained a reputation for being a lethal striker who has scored nearly 100 goals for Ha Noi’s women’s side and been impressive at the international stage, scoring crucial goals in many key games for her side.

Hai Yen will look to use her clever movement to get around the Indian defenders and disrupt their defensive shape to trouble them. She’ll also need to be at her ruthless best in terms of finishing off chances lethally and guiding her side to an important win.

Manisha Kalyan (India)

For Manisha Kayan, the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup is the perfect stage to prove just how good she can be at the grandest stage for the Indian women’s side.

The 24-year-old has already scored 14 goals in 48 games for the Blue Tigresses, and she has proven to be a driving figure for her side because of her excellent movement and dribbling prowess in the wide areas. Well, Manisha will need to produce her best efforts against Vietnam, as she will need to work her socks off to get into the prime locations in the final third.

The 24-year-old also needs to be rapid and clinical on the counterattacks, dragging the ball into crucial positions and helping set up big chances or finish them off with grace.

Manisha will be important to deciding India’s heroics on the opposition half, and if she’s at her irresistible best, the 24-year-old could cause major damage to the Golden Star Women Warriors.

Did you know?

• The last time India played at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup was back in the 2003 edition, when they were invited to participate in it.
• Vietnam has qualified for every single edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup since their debut in the competition in 1999.
• India’s best-ever finish in an AFC Women’s Asian Cup was in 1980 and 1983, when they finished as the runners-up.

Telecast Details

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup clash between India and Vietnam will take place on Wednesday, 4 March (2026), at the Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth. The match will kick off at 4:30 PM IST. It will be live-streamed on the Fancode app.

Viewers outside India can watch the matches here.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.