2026 National Women’s Cup: Ho Chi Minh City advance to final after dramatic penalty shootout win
This afternoon (May 23), Ho Chi Minh City secured a place in the final of the 2026 National Women’s Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Phong Phú Hà Nam in a thrilling and fiercely contested semi-final.
Phong Phú Hà Nam started confidently and matched the defending champions stride for stride. The young side played with great determination, showed no hesitation in challenges, and caused numerous problems for Ho Chi Minh City from the opening minutes.
The breakthrough came unexpectedly in the 38th minute when Ho Chi Minh City’s defense lost concentration. Capitalizing on the mistake, Lưu Hoàng Vân delivered a well-placed pass for Vũ Thị Hoa, whose initial effort was denied. Lan Anh reacted quickest to score from the rebound and give Phong Phú Hà Nam the lead. Just one minute later, Ho Chi Minh City’s backline was caught out again after failing to track back in time. Hoàng Vân provided a precise cross for Vũ Thị Hoa, who finished clinically past goalkeeper Kim Thanh to double the advantage at 2-0.
Trailing by two goals, coach Kim Chi was forced to make personnel changes, introducing Huỳnh Như to strengthen the attack. The substitution quickly proved effective. Before the end of the first half, Thu Thảo produced a superb curling effort into the far corner to pull one back for Ho Chi Minh City and reduce the deficit to 1-2.
In the second half, Ho Chi Minh City pushed forward and applied sustained pressure on the opposition’s half. However, Phong Phú Hà Nam’s defense stood resilient, making it difficult for the defending champions to find an equalizer. It was not until the 81st minute that Ho Chi Minh City found the breakthrough they were searching for, as Hồng Nhung scored to bring the match level at 2-2.
Unable to be separated in regulation time, the two sides moved into a tense penalty shootout. On this occasion, Ho Chi Minh City’s experience proved decisive. Goalkeeper Kim Thanh emerged as the hero with two outstanding saves against Phong Phú Hà Nam’s penalties, while their opponents managed to stop only one of Ho Chi Minh City’s attempts.
In the end, Ho Chi Minh City secured a 3-0 victory in the penalty shootout to book their place in the final of the 2026 National Women’s Cup. Despite falling short in the semi-finals, Phong Phú Hà Nam left a strong impression with a spirited and determined performance against the defending champions.
