Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Mandalay: Vietnam moved to within a point of the leading duo as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2014 hosts defeated Jordan 2-1 while table topping Thailand and Chinese Taipei cancelled each other out following a goalless draw as the second round of qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games moved onto Match Day 4.
Sunday’s encounter at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium saw Vietnam and Jordan meet for the first time in a competitive fixture since facing off in the opening match of the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, as the Jordanians became the first West Asian side to take part in the continent’s flagship tournament for ladies.
And just as they did back in May of last year, the Vietnamese would get the better of their Jordanian counterparts with Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet giving the ASEAN side a 2-0 lead going into the half-time break, with the forward opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 18th minute before doubling her side’s lead one minute into stoppage-time.
Jordan reduced the deficit in the 76th minute through Maysa Jbarah, whose goal in the earlier 3-1 loss at Ho Chi Minh City’s Thong Nhat Stadium was the first AFC Women’s Asian Cup goal scored by a West Asian, but the side from the Hashemite Kingdom couldn’t find the equaliser in the remaining quarter-of-an-hour as Vietnam moved on to six points from three games, one less than Thailand and Chinese Taipei going into Tuesday’s conclusion of the five-team tournament.
Vietnam will take on familiar foes Thailand in the first match at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium while Chinese Taipei face hosts Myanmar in the later fixture, with Jordan having played all four of their second qualifying games.
The team that emerges top of the five-team table will join reigning Asian champions Japan, 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup runners-up Australia, DPR Korea, China, and Korea Republic in the Qualification Final Round, with the top two sides going on to represent Asia at the women’s football tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.