Passion & curiosity
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| Thu Xuan in Than KSVN (Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group) jersey. Photo provided by the subject |
Born in 2002, Thu Xuan is the youngest of five siblings in a family from Giap Thuong 2 residential group, Huong Tra Ward. “We are a large family, but not excessively poor. My parents were able to provide for all of us to attend school. I came to football purely out of passion,” Thu Xuan shared, speaking of her first steps into the sport while she was a Grade 7 student at Ho Van Tu Secondary School (former Huong Van).
In 2015, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) rolled out the Football for All in Vietnam (FFAV) project in Hue City. In addition to passion, Xuan was drawn by curiosity, wanting to see what was new and different about FFAV. After several convincing displays of her playing skills, Thu Xuan quickly caught the eye of VFF coaches and received focused training.
After three years of training with football, Thu Xuan, by the end of 2017, joined U19 Than KSVN (Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group) on loan and contributed to the team’s national U19 championship title. Recognizing the potential of the Huong Tra-born player, the coal industry’s women’s football team signed her to a long-term contract through 2025. During this time, Thu Xuan was also part of the Vietnam women’s national team and went on to win the gold medal at the 31st SEA Games, hosted by Vietnam in 2022.
In her stint with Than KSVN, although she lacks outstanding speed or strength in physical duels, Thu Xuan has won the confidence of the coaching staff thanks to her effective control of play, ball recovery and ability to initiate attacks. She was entrusted with the central midfield role and has been one of the team’s mainstays for nearly a decade. Most recently, Thu Xuan and Than KSVN successfully defended the 2025 National Women’s Football Cup title.
A surprise call-up
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| Female player from Huong Tra with her gold medal in women's futsal at the 33rd SEA Games. Photo provided by the subject |
Despite focusing solely on contributing to the team she was playing for and had no involvement in futsal, Thu Xuan received a surprise call-up to the Vietnam women’s futsal national team in late 2024 from head coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang. “I was truly surprised and had no idea when I first came under attention,” Xuan said.
“In the early days of training with my teammates, I felt quite challenged as outdoor football and futsal differ significantly. The futsal court is much smaller than a grass pitch, and its wooden (or synthetic) surface results in a much higher bounce of the ball. Aware of my own limitations, beyond official training sessions, I also learned from teammates and coaches, working on techniques from basic to advanced,” Xuan shared.
With her drive to improve, resilience, and eagerness to contribute - as noted by coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang - Thu Xuan mastered futsal techniques, ball handling and control within just three weeks. She was subsequently named in the official squad for a friendly tournament in Thailand and, in her first appearance, helped the Vietnam women’s futsal team claim the title on Thai soil.
After the friendly tournament, Thu Xuan was named in the squad in November for the 2024 Southeast Asian Women’s Futsal Championship in the Philippines. At the tournament, she played a key role as the Vietnam women’s futsal team claimed the title in its inaugural edition following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Thailand, before going on to advance through the qualifiers for the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Championship.
After a succession of “firsts”, Thu Xuan and her teammates travelled to Inner Mongolia, China, in May 2025 to compete in the finals of the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Championship. Although the team exited at the quarter-final stage against a far stronger Japanese side, Thu Xuan’s performances at recent regional and continental tournaments have affirmed the Huong Tra native’s talent on both the grass pitch and the indoor court.
Continuing those memorable milestones, Thu Xuan and her teammates captured their first-ever women’s futsal title at the 33rd SEA Games. She was widely regarded as a key figure in Vietnam women’s futsal’s success, as the team went unbeaten in the group stage, edged the Philippines 1- 0 in the semi-finals, and defeated Indonesia 5 - 0 in the final.
Dream to stand at the lectern
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| Thu Xuan (red) challenges a Japanese opponent in the quarter-final of the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Championship. Photo provided by the subject |
After returning from the women’s futsal championship at the 33rd SEA Games, Thu Xuan was honoured by Huong Tra Ward for her achievements. The recognition provided meaningful encouragement to a local athlete with outstanding contributions, helping to foster pride and generate momentum for the growth of sports in general and women’s football in particular in Huong Tra and Hue City in the years ahead.
In a conversation on the morning of January 1, 2026, amid the demands of settling into life in Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Xuan confirmed that she has parted ways with Than KSVN and signed for Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Football Club. It may well be the final club of her playing career.
“I’m 23 now, and the peak years of a female footballer don’t last long,” Thu Xuan said. “While dedicating myself fully to my new club, I will try to make time to study and sit the entrance exam for Ho Chi Minh City University of Education. My dream is to stand at the lectern after my days on the pitch come to an end.” She wrapped up the brief conversation with those sincere remarks.