AFC lavishes praise on Vietnamese national team goalkeeper after 0-4 loss to Japan

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) praised the remarkable display by goalkeeper Khong Thi Hang in the fixture between Vietnam's women's national team and Japan's women's national team as part of the last group round of the 2026 Asian Cup.

Specifically, in the match report, AFC particularly highlighted the outstanding saves made by the goalkeeper born in 1993 as she repeatedly blocked numerous dangerous situations from Japan. Despite facing relentless attacking pressure, Khong Thi Hang demonstrated quick reflexes and intense concentration in front of the goal.

Notably, in the 30th minute, she made a diving save to block a close-range volley from forward Aoba Fujino, helping the Vietnamese women's team avoid a clear goal. Just minutes later, Khong Thi Hang continued to shine by pushing away a powerful header from Riko Ueki. Vietnam's goalkeeper even managed to close the angle promptly, preventing Ueki's delicate lob shot towards the far post.

According to AFC, the Japanese women's team completely dominated the match with superior ball control, continuously organizing attacks and launching many dangerous finishing attempts. In that context, Khong Thi Hang's performance was seen as a standout highlight for the Vietnamese women's team.

In this match, the Vietnamese women's national team lost with a final score of 0-4, thereby bidding farewell to the tournament early. Nevertheless, although unable to help her team create an upset against the strong opponent from East Asia, Khong Thi Hang's consecutive saves contributed to limiting the number of goals conceded and left a strong impression on experts. AFC assessed this as one of the notable performances by a goalkeeper in this year's tournament group stage.