Guam and Maldives women’s teams arrive in Phu Tho for Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers

On the afternoon and evening of June 27, the Guam and Maldives women’s football teams arrived at Saigon Phu Tho Hotel and Muong Thanh Luxury Phu Tho Hotel to prepare for the Group E Qualifiers of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which will take place at Viet Tri Stadium from June 29 to July 5.

The Guam Women’s Team received a warm welcome from the Phu Tho Provincial Organizing Committee upon arrival on the night of June 27.

Compared to the United Arab Emirates and Maldives, the Guam Women’s Team was the last to arrive in Phu Tho, having traveled over 6,000 kilometers. Despite the long journey, Head Coach Kimberly Sherman and her players were clearly in high spirits, expressing excitement and appreciation for the friendly and thoughtful welcome extended by the local Organizing Committee upon their late-night arrival.

Guam players appeared confident and relaxed, ready to spring surprises at the tournament.

While not highly ranked—currently sitting at 93rd in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings—the Guam team remains determined to create surprises at this year’s qualifiers. With a calm and confident demeanor, the players showed their readiness to compete on the continental stage.

The Phu Tho Organizing Committee also welcomed the Maldives Women’s Team as they arrived for the Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers.

Earlier the same afternoon, the Maldives Women’s Team touched down at Muong Thanh Luxury Phu Tho Hotel. Carrying less pressure than some of their counterparts, the team was visibly relaxed and comfortable upon arrival. Their opening match against Vietnam will take place on June 29. Notably, the Maldives had faced Vietnam in the 2022 Asian Cup Qualifiers and suffered a 16-0 defeat under Coach Mai Duc Chung’s leadership.

Quoc Dai