Vietnam will play AFC defending champions - the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the opening match of the 2009 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship Group A finals, according to the Vietnam Football Federation.

The August 1 match will be a big challenge to Vietnamese girls before they take on other tough Group A opponents, namely the Republic of Korea on August 3 and Thailand on August 5.

Commentators say that there is little chance for Vietnam to reach semi-finals, as they have to meet strong opponents in the group matches. However, the tournament offers an excellent opportunity for the team to gain useful experience.

Chief coach Tran Ngoc Thai Tuan will call in his players for training starting on June 7. They will also have training in China where they are scheduled to play four friendly matches.

In the qualifying round in November 2008, Vietnam won 4 out of 5 games and put in an excellent performance against Singapore (12-0), the Philippines (11-0), Jordan (6-0) and Myanmar (4-0), but lost their match against Korea (0-6).

VietNamNet/VOV