Perth, March 4 India, despite putting up a strong fight, lost 1-2 to higher-ranked Vietnam in their opening match of the Women's AFC Asian Cup here on Wednesday.
Substitute Sanfida Nongrum equalized in the 65th minute after Vietnam had taken the lead in the 30th minute through Ngan Thi Van Su.
India were agonizingly close to securing a point, but conceded a goal in the fourth minute of the added time, with Ngan Thi Van Su scoring her second goal of the match in the 94th minute.
The loss was a disappointment for the Indian team under new coach Amelia Valverde, as there were only three minutes remaining after seven minutes of added time.
Despite the defeat, India, ranked 67th in Group C, will hold their heads high against 36th-ranked Vietnam, who dominated the match.
Vietnam had qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and reached the quarterfinals in the previous edition of the Asian Cup in 2022.
Goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu made several crucial saves, while captain Sweety Devi Ngangbam effectively marshaled the Indian defense.
Forward Manisha Kalyan, who plays in a top-tier league in Peru, posed a constant threat to the Vietnamese defense.
In the second half, Vietnam thought they had scored, but the goal was disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee, who ruled for a handball by an attacker in the goal area.
India struggled in the first half, unable to maintain possession for extended periods to create attacking opportunities. They also lost possession easily.
Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Thi Bich Thu was a key threat for India, and her shot in the 14th minute struck the crossbar. Next, goalkeeper Panthoi was called into action as she parried a shot from Cu Thi Huynh Nhu. She made another save in the 17th minute.
Vietnam eventually broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, with Ngan Thi Van Su scoring from the left side of the box after Nguyen Thi Bich Thu had set up the play.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Manisha was brought on from the left flank to the center, and India had a golden opportunity to score in the 41st minute.
Manisha successfully outmaneuvered her marker and sent a beautiful pass to Soumya Guguloth, who, however, had a heavy first touch. With the ball far away from Soumya, Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh had enough time to come out and clear the ball.
India played a much better second half with Nongrum and Rimpa Haldar coming in for Dangmei Grace and Soumya Guguloth.
The Indians held possession for longer periods and built more attacking moves, while also limiting the space for the Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese supporters at the Perth Rectangular Stadium were stunned when Nongrum scored the equalizing goal in the 65th minute after hard work from Haldar.
Nongrum's left-footed shot went through the fingers of the Vietnamese goalkeeper, finding the back of the net to the delight of the small Indian supporters at the stadium.
Vietnam relentlessly attacked, searching for another goal. Panthoi made another fine save in the 76th minute to keep the score 1-1.
Seven minutes were added as injury stoppage time, and India almost escaped with a draw, but Vietnam scored in the 94th minute for a deserved win.
India entered the match without sufficient international game time, as they had not played any international matches this year.
However, India are hoping to perform well and reach the knockout round, which would allow them to qualify for the 2027 FIFA World Cup for the first time.
The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarterfinals. The four quarter-final winners will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
The losing quarter-finalists will contest the play-offs for the two remaining direct spots allocated to the AFC for the World Cup. The two play-off losers will have another chance to qualify for Brazil via the play-off tournament.
India will face Japan on March 7 here, while their final Group C match will be against Chinese Taipei on March 10 in Sydney.
