HAI PHONG: Australia secured the Asean Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 as Holly Furphy’s second-half strike sealed a 1-0 win over Myanmar in the final at the Lach Tray Stadium on Tuesday night (Aug 19).
Furphy pounced in the 66th minute to earn Joseph Palatsides’ side the trophy as the Australians avenged a Group Stage loss to Tetsuro Uki’s team to lift the regional crown for the second time, and the first since 2008.
“I’m just so happy and so grateful to be part of this team,” said Furphy, who was named MSIG Player of the Match and MSIG Most Valuable Player. “We’ve come such a long way with little preparation, and it’s such an honour to be part of this team and win this tournament.
“We started strong, we held possession, and we were patient and we waited. I just backed our girls so much; we knew we had it in us the whole way. Myanmar put up a huge fight and made it difficult for us throughout the match. It was a tough match, but it was a fun game.”
Australia’s victory came at the end of a display that saw Palatsides’ team dominate for long periods without being able to find a way past Myanmar goalkeeper Myo Mya Mya Nyein and her stubborn defence.
Furphy had somehow been denied the opener in the sixth minute when Lin Lae Oo blocked an attempt to push the ball over the line from little more than a yard out.
Six minutes later, Georgia Cassidy side-stepped Naw Htet Htet Wai’s challenge 25 yards from goal before unleashing a strike that Myo Mya Mya Nyein pushed around the post. Alana Jancevski hit her free-kick straight at the goalkeeper soon after.
The Australians had been on top throughout the opening period, and it was not until the final minute of the half that Myanmar threatened. Win Theingi Tun burst down the right before cutting inside, only to hit a weak shot that trundled into the arms of Chloe Lincoln.
Myo Mya Mya Nyein was on hand to deny Australia again in stoppage time with a sharp save to her right, pushing Sasha Grove’s attempt to safety after the 20-year-old had danced her way through the defence.
The Australians remained on top after the interval, with Cassidy going closest to breaking the deadlock 12 minutes into the second half when she rattled the Myanmar crossbar with her right-footed free kick from more than 20 yards from goal.
As the game approached the final quarter, the Australians finally and decisively found a way past Myo Mya Mya Nyein.
Jancevski’s pass cut through the Myanmar defence to find Aideen Keane powering down the left flank, with her first-time ball across the face of the goal stroked in by a sliding Furphy to earn Australia the title.
Earlier in the day, tournament hosts Vietnam clinched third place with a 3-1 win over Thailand, with goals from Pham Hai Yen, Huynh Nhu and Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy securing victory for Mai Đức Chung’s team.
The winners of the MSIG Player of the Match award:
Final – Myanmar v Australia: Holly Furphy (Jersey No. 9), Australia
3rd/4th Place – Thailand v Vietnam: Huỳnh Như (#9), Vietnam
The ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 Award Winners are:
MSIG Most Valuable Player: Holly Furphy (#9), Australia
Yanmar Top Goal Scorer: Win Theingi Tun (#7), Myanmar
Best Goalkeeper: Myo Mya Mya Nyein (#22), Myanmar
Adidas Rising Star of the Tournament: Alana Jancevski (#13), Australia
For more information about the MSIG Serenity CupTM 2025 and other ASEAN United FC events, visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
