Mu Cang Chai girl dreams of becoming football player

  •  Wednesday, June 7, 2023

YBO - With an impressive 3-0 victory over the U17 Uzbekistan women's team on April 26 afternoon, the U17 Vietnam women's football team successfully advanced to the second qualifying round of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2024. Among the eight goals scored in the first qualifying round, one was by No. 11 striker Nguyen Thu Trang, a girl from Mu Cang Chai.

Nguyen Thu Trang (No. 11) midfielder of Vietnam U17 team in a dispute with Uzerbekistan player.
Nguyen Thu Trang (No. 11) midfielder of Vietnam U17 team in a dispute with Uzerbekistan player.

Born into a family without a football tradition, with both parents working as teachers, Trang fostered a passion for the sport when she was five years old. Her parents recalled that when she was young, Trang quickly grew bored of most toys, but she would spend a long time playing with a ball or any round objects. As she grew a little older, Trang joined the boys to play football, and there were summer days when she was the only girl playing football with the boys.

Tu, Trang’s father, said: "In our family, we respect the personality of each person. Seeing our daughter's passion for football, my wife and I always support and encourage her to live with passion and persistently pursue her dream." Therefore, in 2020, when Trang turned 13, the family helped her pass the selection of U13 national team.

Since then, Trang has been training and studying at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre under the Vietnam Football Federation. Her highest achievement was the third place with the U16 Thai Nguyen T&T women's team. Notably, Trang made a significant contribution to the success of the U17 Vietnam women's football team in the second qualifying round of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup.

Following each step of her journey, Tu couldn't help but feel sorry for his daughter with the injuries she sustained during training. He confided: "I feel a deep sense of sorrow, seeing my daughter enduring pain, but she is resilient. Every time we have video calls, she always smiles brightly, jokes around, and reassures us. During her time with the national team, she frequently shares her training experience with the family. We encourage her to keep trying and persevering to fulfill her dream. Her dream is to give her all to make it into the national team."

And now, Trang is gradually getting closer to her dream as she becomes a midfielder in the lineup of the U17 Vietnam team. Despite her modest height of 1.60m, on the football field, Trang is always agile, skillful, and exceptionally smart in every move she makes.

Currently, Trang and her teammates are making efforts in training and preparing for the second round of the AFC U17 Women's Championship 2024. We wish Trang continued success with her passion for football and, together with her teammates, make significant contributions to the nation's sporting achievements.

Thanh Vy