Vietnam secured qualification for the 2024 AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup football tournament with a resounding 3-0 victory against Lebanon in Group A of the second qualifying round on Monday night.
In the game held at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, Ngoc Minh Chuyen, a sixteen-year-old forward, scored twice, while captain Le Thi Bao Tram netted the remaining goal, sealing the victory.
Vietnam emerged victorious with a 3-2 win against Iran on Saturday, their qualifying campaign's opening day, and were tasked with achieving another three points in their match against Lebanon to qualify for the finals, which appeared highly attainable as the Lebanese opponents were not highly regarded.
Despite their height advantage, the Lebanese women’s team could only hold their ground for a brief period of time.
After approximately 30 minutes of resistance, they began displaying signs of vulnerability.
Vietnam gained the upper hand thanks to the agility, speed, and skill of Minh Chuyen, Luu Hoang Van, and Hoang Thi Ngoc Anh.
Despite skipper Bao Tram successfully heading the ball in the net during a corner kick, her goal went unrecognized.
As per the referee’s judgment, the ball went beyond the goal line before Bao Tram executed her header.
Nonetheless, Vietnam managed to score a goal in the first half, precisely in the final minute, thanks to Minh Chuyen’s determined dribbling and decisive finish.
Vietnam maintained their advantage in the second half, with opportunities continuing to arise, even though the Vietnamese players did not always initiate attacks at a rapid pace.
In the 77th minute, Bao Tram beat the Lebanese goalkeeper following Le Thi Trang’s cross from close range, extending Vietnam’s lead.
