Head coach Mai Duc Chung announced the list of 25 players. Chung put his belief in young players, as some are promoted from the women’s U19 team, including Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngan, Ngan Thi Van Su, Nguyen Thi Truc Huong, Cu Thi Huynh Nhu and goalie Tran Thi Ngoc Anh.

The coach also called two young players Luong Thi Thu Thuong and Dinh Thi Thuy Duong to the national team for the first time.

Meanwhile, Chung kept veterans such as Huynh Nhu, Pham Hai Yen and Chuong Thi Kieu on his list.

According to Chung, he called many young players with the aim of preparing players for the future, including the 31st Southeast Asian Games which will be held in Vietnam in 2021.

The team will begin their one-week training session in the northern province of Quang Ninh on January 1 and then they will return to Hanoi to continue to practice.

Vietnam have been drawn in Group A, together with the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Myanmar, in the event which will be held in the RoK next February. Meanwhile, Group B consists of Australia, China, Thailand and Chinese Taipei.

The teams will play in a round robin format (February 3-9) to decide the top two teams from each group for the play-off tournament. The two best teams of the play-off tournament, to be played on a home and away basis on March 6 to 11, will join hosts Japan as the three representatives of Asia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics./.VNA