Vietnam has already qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup - but it does not have the planned schedule for pre-World Cup friendlies

In February 2022, Vietnam entered a round-robin playoff, competed against Thailand and Chinese Taipei, both were World Cup participants. Chinese Taipei previously played the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, which was the first World Cup in the history of women's football, 61 years after the first men's World Cup was held - and that stays as the country's only participation since. Thailand has qualified for two editions, in 2015 and 2019; the former evoked a painful wound for many Vietnamese as it was Vietnam who lost 1-2 to Thailand in the decisive playoff spot right in Ho Chi Minh City.

But Vietnam had an edge: its squad was mostly healthy - while Thailand and Chinese Taipei were plagued by coronavirus. A 2-0 win over Thailand initially sealed the hope high, but Chinese Taipei beat the same opponent 3-0, putting Vietnam and Chinese Taipei into a dramatic final confrontation. Chinese Taipei just needed a draw to qualify, but defying all odds, Vietnam won 2-1, thus the country's first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup appearance. The success of the Vietnamese women's team brought joy to the country's football fans, and the team was awarded about $440 thousands - it was a high sum for a women's team of Vietnam at the time.

Beneath the successes of the women's team, however, there is one bigger problem - Vietnam does not have any recent project to elevate women's football to a higher level - and this is not a good new. To think why, we may think about Vietnam's fellow Southeast Asian opponent the Philippines. Like Vietnam, the Philippines also qualified for 2023 edition - the first in the country's history, or Thailand, which has taken part in two editions prior to 2023.

Thailand was quick to gain advantage after successfully qualified for its first World Cup in 2015. It took friendlies in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the results in 2015 edition were nearly positive, only to be eliminated because of inferior goal differences to Sweden. Thailand also took friendlies when it qualified for the 2019 edition, getting experiences against the likes of Nigeria, Italy, France and Belgium. Of course, the World Cup in France did not go as planned, but these friendlies cemented Thailand's status in women's football among Southeast Asia.

The Philippines is different, but nearly similar in that of Thailand. The Philippines didn't come to football until they realised the women's team could actually do so back in 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup, when the Filipinas finished third in group A. In the playoff against South Korea, the Philippines lost, but hope rose. Dan Palami, who is the Philippines' General Manager, took the initiative and invited players of Filipina background to play for the country. Almost qualified for the 2019 World Cup in France, the Philippines strengthened its women's team by playing numerous friendlies and appointed a new coach, Australian-born Alen Stajcic, and the team eventually achieved the dream by qualifying to the first World Cup in 2023. The Filipinas used these developments to schedule necessary games in Australia as well as a planned trip to Europe in summer to face Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, the Philippines also hinted for upcoming friendlies by September 2022 and early 2023.

But Vietnam appears to be... strangely isolated from moving. Since qualifying for the Women's World Cup, Vietnam only had two friendlies in South Korea against the hosts. The results were not so bad, Vietnam lost 0-3 in Goyang but won 3-2 in the returning match in Jeju, but these were the only games played by the Vietnamese.

The next competition for Vietnamese women's team is SEA Games at home, a football tournament for Southeast Asian nations, which involved the Philippines and Thailand. After that, which competition Vietnam has to prepare next is totally a concern - the Vietnamese federation has no idea about which competition to be the next one for the country's women's side - contrast to its Thai and Filipina friends. To make the matter complicated, the 2022 Asian Games, supposed to be held in Hangzhou and also the only other chance for Vietnam women's side to gather strength - has also been disrupted due to COVID-19 pandemic and China's zero-COVID policy.

Hence, during this moment, Vietnam cannot just rely on several official tournaments - Vietnam desperately needs to take part in various friendly tournaments pre-Women's World Cup and reliance on these official tournaments won't bring anywhere. There is a need for Vietnamese players to get experiences with other necessary opponents outside the continent - against the likes of other major football forces like Sweden, Norway, France, England, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Netherlands or Canada; or at least take serious friendlies against middle forces like Mexico, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Finland, Iceland, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Belgium, etc.

There is also another matter, this includes a separate development fund for the women's team and women's league. And this is necessary for Vietnam to progress. Such an attempt has been debated, but I will take that in a different topic.

In order to improve, Vietnam needs to strike fast. It must find opponents on time before the matter could become too complicated to schedule.