VFF officials and AFC and UEFA officials mark the occasion with a group photo at the workshop held on Wednesday in Hà Nội. — Photo VFF

HÀ NỘI — A representative from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) affirmed its commitment to supporting the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) in developing women's football.

UEFA representative, Lowri Robert, confirmed the association's support during a workshop as part of the Women's Football Development Support Project, held on Wednesday in Hà Nội.

"UEFA will support the development of Vietnamese women's football over the next three years through four key initiatives. The most significant of these is long-term development, aimed at ensuring the sustainability of women's football in Việt Nam," she said.

"I believe that Vietnamese women's football has made remarkable progress. The Vietnamese women's team participated in the 2023 Women's World Cup and the HCM City women's club reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League. This is a great opportunity to elevate the standard of Vietnamese women's football. I hope that professional women's clubs and the national team will inspire more girls to pursue careers in football."

Several other high-ranking officials also attended the workshop, including Amir Assokan Bin Abdullah, Head of AFC Special Projects, Trần Anh Tú, Vice President of VFF, Koshida Takeshi, Technical Director of VFF and Trương Hải Tùng, Director of the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre.

The Vietnamese women's team can plays in the World Cup finals many more times if there is strong investment. AFP/VNA Photo

VFF is one of five national football federations, alongside Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan and Lebanon, to receive attention in this project. This initiative provides an opportunity for Vietnamese football to engage with leading experts in the field, fostering innovation and professionalisation in football development.

Tú, the Vice President of VFF, said: “Over the years, VFF has maintained a strong commitment to maximising resources for the development of Vietnamese football, with a focus on women's football. This long-term investment has yielded success, evidenced by the Vietnamese women's team's qualification for the 2023 Women's World Cup in New Zealand, marking a significant achievement for Vietnamese women's football on the global stage."

UEFA and AFC experts will collaborate with Vietnamese representatives and relevant units to discuss strategies for women's football, including youth talent development, grassroot initiatives, team goals, staffing, tournaments, club development and opportunities for commercial growth. VNS