Vietnam's national team competes for World Cup spot against formidable opponent with two overseas stars.

Vietnam women's national team's opening match in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup Finals is against India, a team featuring two overseas-based players, presenting a significant challenge.

The opening match of Group C in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup Finals between Vietnam and India at 6:00 PM on March 4th is seen as a crucial step toward advancing from the group stage. Despite being ranked 67th in the world, far behind Vietnam's 36th position, India has demonstrated thorough and ambitious preparations.

The most notable highlight in India's 26-player squad is the presence of two players based overseas: Aveka Singh (Denmark) and Manisha Kalyan (Peru). In a context where most of the team plays domestically, the international football experience of this duo is considered a differentiating factor.

Manisha Kalyan is not an unfamiliar name, having participated in the 2022 Asian Cup on home soil. Along with eight players from the previous tournament such as Anju Tamang, Grace Dangmei, and Sweety Devi Ngangbam, India maintains an experienced core squad. Notably, Grace Dangmei is a highly skilled forward who has scored 23 goals in 91 appearances for the national team.

Not only relying on personnel, India has also been meticulously preparing since late 2025. They trained domestically, played friendlies against Russian clubs, then spent four weeks in Turkey and continued to Perth from early February. Convincing wins against Perth RedStar (5-0) and Perth Azzurri (7-2) demonstrate positive form.

Notably, India's friendly matches have been held behind closed doors, with limited public video footage, making opponent analysis difficult. The South Asian team is led by coach Amelia Valverde, former head coach of the Costa Rican women's national team, bringing modern tactical organization and discipline.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese women's national team has also completed its final preparations. Coach Mai Duc Chung and the coaching staff maintained an 18-hour training schedule to adapt to match times. The entire team is in good physical condition with no significant injuries, while also conducting thorough video analysis to devise strategies to counter the opponent.

Midfielder Bich Thuy confirmed the team is in high spirits and ready for the tournament. However, facing an Indian team with two "European and South American pillars" in its squad and a long preparation process, the Vietnamese women's team undoubtedly requires maximum focus for the challenge right from the opening match.

According to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regulations, after the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams advance to the quarter-finals. The four quarter-final winners will qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. The four quarter-final losers will enter additional play-off matches: the two winners will secure World Cup spots, while the two losers will compete for the final berth in the intercontinental play-off.