Coach Mai Duc Chung of the women's national football team of Vietnam.

"I will lead the Vietnamese women's football team at the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the ASEAN Football Federation Championship 2022, and then I will withdraw to let someone else be the head coach. I suggest that the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) find a foreign coach for the women's team," coach Mai Duc Chung said.

"I want to devote my time to my family. I am willing to be a consultant for the women's team at the 2023 World Cup,” the 71-year-old coach said.

The senior coach said he hopes the Vietnamese women's team will receive further investment so that players will be assured to devote themselves to their career.

Chung’s reveal surprised many people as the information was released just after the Vietnamese women's football won the historic card to the World Cup.

Coach Mai Duc Chung is a monument to Vietnamese women's football. Over the past two decades, the women's team has had many coaches (both domestic and foreign), but none of them has achieved great success like Chung.

The former striker of the Railway FC began his glorious journey with the Vietnamese women's football team since the 2003 SEA Games, with the gold medal that year. After that, his team won three more SEA Games gold medal and many AFF Cup championship titles.

At the continental and world level, the coach took his team to the semi-finals of the 2014 Asian Cup, before winning the card to the 2023 World Cup.

The 2023 World Cup will take place from July 20 to August 20, 2023 at 10 stadiums in nine cities in Australia and New Zealand.

FIFA has identified the participating teams in Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines and Vietnam (along with the two host countries, Australia and New Zealand).

The qualifier round in other regions such as Europe (11 slots), South America (3), CONCACAF (4), Africa (4) and Oceania (1) have yet to take place.

Thailand and Taiwan (China) still have a chance to attend the World Cup. They will participate in the intercontinental play-off with rivals from other continents. 10 teams will participate in the intercontinental play-off round to select three teams for the World Cup.

Quynh Chi

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