Vietnamese players (in red) seen during their opening match against Myanmar in the ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship 2024 on November 17 in Manila. Việt Nam win 5-2. Photo of AFF

MANILA – Việt Nam made a strong start in the ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship 2024, defeating Myanmar 5-2 in their opening match at the Philsports Arena in Manila, the Philippines, on November 17.

Captain Trịnh Nguyễn Thanh Hằng set the tone early, scoring in just the third minute. Myanmar responded with an equaliser from Nang Seng Brim in the 10th minute, before Sett Nwe Ni put Myanmar ahead in the 16th minute, capitalising on a rebound to score into an empty net.

Despite being under significant pressure for the remainder of the first half, Việt Nam turned the game around in the second. Nguyễn Phương Anh levelled the score just a minute after the break, followed by Biện Thị Hằng’s impressive solo effort in the 25th minute, putting Việt Nam ahead 3-2.

Lê Thị Thanh Ngân extended the lead with a penalty in the 32nd minute, and K’Thua sealed the victory with a powerful strike in the 38th minute. Việt Nam will face Indonesia in their next match.

In other action, Thailand secured their second win of the tournament with a dominant 7-0 victory over the Philippines. The title favourites netted four goals in the first half and added three more in the second.

In the earlier matches on November 16, Thailand edged Indonesia 1-0, while the Philippines and Myanmar played to a 2-2 draw.

The championship features five teams competing in a single round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals. The tournament will conclude with the gold-medal match on November 21. VNS