CAHN will face Tampines Rovers in the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup.
The draw for the AFC Champions League Two knockout round has pitted CAHN against a representative from Singapore. Fans are hoping that coach Polking's team will advance far thanks to a favorable bracket.
On the afternoon of December 30th, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially conducted the draw for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/2026. The sole representative of Vietnamese football, Hanoi Police FC (CAHN), will face Tampines Rovers FC of Singapore in a dramatic two-legged tie.
Match schedule and advantages for the Vietnamese representative.
According to the plan, the first leg will take place at Hang Day Stadium in February 2026. This is a great opportunity for CAHN to take advantage of home field advantage and the support of the fans to gain an edge before traveling to Singapore for the second leg. Avoiding strong opponents from Japan or South Korea in the first knockout round is considered a favorable scenario for the police team by experts.
Opponent Tampines Rovers showed excellent form in the group stage, leading Group H with 16 points. They boasted an effective attack with 14 goals scored and a defense that conceded only 5 goals. Notably, the Singaporean representative caused a surprise by earning 4 points against strong opponent Pohang Steelers. However, compared to top East Asian teams like Gamba Osaka, Tampines is still considered a manageable opponent for CAHN's star-studded squad.
Fans' expectations of progressing further.
Immediately after the draw results were announced, the Vietnamese fan community expressed great optimism. Many believed that if they played to their potential and maintained discipline, CAHN was fully capable of overcoming the Singaporean representative to advance to the quarterfinals, or even the semifinals of the regional tournament.
Under the guidance of coach Alexandre Polking, CAHN is gradually developing a style of play characterized by ball control and high-intensity pressing. Another advantage is that CAHN will face Tampines Rovers in both the Shopee Cup and the AFC Champions League Two in the same period, providing the coaching staff with more detailed data to analyze and devise appropriate strategies.
Strategic planning for a continental journey.
Experts believe that avoiding a bracket with Japanese teams is a crucial stepping stone for CAHN to dream of a miracle in the continental arena. The confidence of the fans stems not only from luck in the draw but also from the superior quality of the police team's personnel, with many national team players in the squad.
Although reaching the East Asian regional final remains a challenging goal, with their current form and favorable schedule, CAHN has a great opportunity to assert the position of Vietnamese football in this season's AFC Champions League Two.
