The Vietnamese team acquires three top-tier foreign players simultaneously to compete for the Asian championship.

Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC draws attention by recruiting three high-caliber foreign players at once, ready to enter a tense showdown with North Korea's representative in the AFC Women's Champions League quarter-finals.

On March 19th morning, Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC officially announced three new foreign players to strengthen the squad for the 2025-2026 AFC Women's Champions League quarter-final match. Their opponent is Naegohyang FC (North Korea), with the match scheduled for March 28th at Laos' national stadium, promising a challenging encounter for the Vietnamese representative.

The most notable names are forward Joelma Alves Gabriel (Brazil) and midfielder Israela Alicia Groves (Canada-born Jamaican). Both are players with impressive physical stature and international playing experience. This addition clearly demonstrates Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC's ambition to make a difference against a very strong opponent in the quarter-finals.

Joelma Alves, standing 1.70m tall, previously played in the Brazilian women's league before moving to Macedonia and Malta. At 30 years old, she still maintains speed and technique rich in samba flair, promising to bring breakthroughs in the attack. Meanwhile, Alicia Groves possesses a height of 1.78m and a solid physical foundation, having played in Portugal, France, and England.

Notably, Alicia Groves is also the daughter of Harbour View Club legend and Jamaican national team player Hubert “Junior” Groves. She has twice started for the Jamaican women's national team in matches against Panama and Guatemala during the 2024 Women's Gold Cup qualifiers, thereby accumulating valuable international playing experience.

The remaining new signing is center-back Rielly Chesna Marie (USA), only 22 years old this year but possessing a 1.68m physique and good contesting ability. Her inclusion is expected to reinforce the defense, helping Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC gain more solidity when facing the quality strikers from Naegohyang FC.

The opponent of the Vietnamese representative is considered very strong, having up to 5 players currently part of the North Korean women's national team participating in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup in Australia. This is clearly a major challenge, requiring Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC to prepare meticulously in both tactics and personnel.

Previously, in the group stage at Thống Nhất Stadium last November, this team used up to 6 foreign players. However, entering the quarter-finals, coach Đoàn Thị Kim Chi retained only left-back Ouni Samia and decided to refresh the squad with the three aforementioned players, demonstrating clear strategic planning.