The Vietnamese national women’s football team arrive in New Zealand on July 6. Photo by VFF.
The team departed Hanoi at 12.35pm on July 5, transisted in Singapore for five hours before taking another flight to Auckland.
Despite the long tiring flight, the team all looked excited when talking about their coming journey.
The team was welcomed by the organisers of the 2023 World Cup at the airport.
They then left for Napier where they stayed at the Rydges Hotel. The hotel lies only a 10-minute drive to New Zealand’s National Stadium Eden Park where the Vietnamese team will play their first match against defending champions, the US, on July 22.
Head coach Mai Duc Chung and his team will have two weeks of training at the Fred Taylor Park before the tournament.
During that time they will play friendlies against New Zealand on July 10 and Spain on July 14.
Speaking at the farewell ceremony held for the team on July 4, head coach Mai Duc Chung said they had waited for a long time to have a chance to play at the World Cup, and he hoped that his players would get on the scoresheet.
"Just scoring at the tournament would be a historical milestone for Vietnamese football," Chung said.
Captain Huynh Nhu promised that the team would try their best.
Vietnam were drawn in Group E and will face the United States on July 22, Portugal on July 27, and the Netherlands on August 1.
