Maldives women’s national football team began their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a loss against Vietnam but met the performance target set by their coach, providing a morale boost for the squad, according to goalkeeper Aminath Leeza (Lizzy).

Vietnam won the match 7-0, scoring six goals in the first half and a final goal in the 67th minute. Despite the staggering defeat, Leeza said the team had been prepared for a defensive game, and that Coach Mohamed Athif (Athi) had set a clear goal to concede no more than half the number of goals Vietnam scored against them in their last meeting.

“We prepared for a defensive game,” Leeza told the press after the match. “The coach set a target for us that is not to concede more than eight goals. Last time they scored 16.”

Leeza noted that Vietnam’s missed penalty in the final minutes of the game played a big part in lifting the team’s spirits.

“If they had scored the penalty, it would have been disappointing for the players. But since it went wide, it gave us great motivation for the next two matches. God willing, we’ll play better and win,” she told Vietnamese broadcaster FPT.

In their previous face off during the 2021 Asian Cup qualifiers, Vietnam defeated the Maldives 16-0. Leeza, who also captained the team in that match, recalled Vietnam’s strong performance in the tournament, where they topped their group and advanced to the quarter-finals.

Maldives will face Guam next on Wednesday and the UAE on Saturday. In today’s earlier group stage match, Guam and the UAE played to a goalless draw.