India’s AFC Women’s Asia Cup campaign got off to the worst possible start on Tuesday. They fell to a 2-1 defeat against Vietnam in Perth, with a late goal proving to be the difference between the two sides.
The result came just days after the team was hit by a kit fiasco. The All India Football Federation sent ill-fitting kits made for the age-group teams, forcing the players to procure playing kits locally before the tournament began.
The Blue Tigresses arrived in Australia under a cloud of off-field uncertainty. It showed in the opening stages, with coach Amélia Valverde’s men looking sluggish and disjointed throughout the first half.
Vietnam take control before VAR saves India
Vietnam looked more confident in the opening third. They were comfortable to hold and dangerous on the counter. Van Su broke the deadlock with a stunning finish, curling the ball into the top right corner after a fierce run behind the Indian defence.
Senior players including Manisha Kalyan, Sweety Devi and Dangmei Grace have written an official letter to the AIFF seeking urgent intervention in the jersey situation in the days leading up to the match. Despite the off-field interruption, India began to grow into the game after the break.
Valverde made two changes that injected new energy into the side. Sanfida Nongrum and Rimpa Haldar approached and immediately made their presence known. Nongrum pulled one back shortly after it came and finished smartly to give India a lifeline.
India then equalized when Nongrum struck again. She converted after a foul, which kindly broke for her on the counter. A comeback that seemed unlikely at halftime suddenly looked very good.
Late Sucker Punch ends India’s hopes
Just when India seemed to be finding their footing, Van Su struck again to restore Vietnam’s lead. The striker remained unmarked and made no mistake. She punished India’s defensive failure with a level finish.
\India looked for an equalizer in the closing stages but could not find a way through. It was an exemplary start to the tournament for the Blue Tigers.
Attention now quickly turns to Saturday when India face a tough test against Japan in their second match of the group stage.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
04 March 2026 18:57 IST
