Polking is determined to help CAHN win the top spot in Group E.
Having already secured their place in the next round of the AFC Champions League Two, CAHN is still aiming for three points against Tai Po on the evening of December 11th. Finishing top of their group gives them the advantage of playing the second leg at home and avoiding facing group winners in the round of 16.
Coach Alexandre Polking affirmed that CAHN is not content with just advancing to the next round: their goal is to finish top of Group E. Before the away match against Tai Po on December 11th, the coach emphasized that the team will enter the game with the highest level of concentration to secure all three points and maximize their advantage in the knockout round.
Coach Polking shared: "Finishing top of the group will give us the advantage of playing the second leg at home in the next round. Although our opponents no longer have a chance to advance and will play with a relaxed, pressure-free mindset, we will focus intensely from the very first minute to secure the victory."
The message from within the team was also clear. Midfielder Le Pham Thanh Long said: "The whole team's goal is to deliver an attractive match for the fans and execute the playing style set by the coaching staff effectively."
Motivation from a comeback and a test of character.
CAHN's journey in the AFC Champions League Two group stage was refueled by a 2-1 comeback victory against Beijing Guan, with a decisive last-minute goal from Dinh Bac. This win boosted their total points to 8 and secured second place in Group E, creating a 3-point gap with Beijing FC before the final matchday. More importantly, it demonstrated that Coach Polking's team knows how to manage moments, control the tempo of the game, and deliver the finishing blow at the right time.
Conversely, Tai Po – currently bottom of the table with 4 points – is under no pressure. A relaxed approach from the home team could lead to unpredictable changes in the game's tempo. Therefore, Polking's emphasis on "focusing from the start" is crucial: controlling risks and avoiding being drawn into the opponent's unpredictable game.
Top spot in Group E: an advantage that's not just nominal.
Securing the top spot, in addition to having the right to play the second leg at home, also helps CAHN avoid facing other group winners in the round of 16. In a knockout competition, even small details regarding home advantage and the draw can become the deciding factor.
The scenario for the top spot was already established before the final matchday:
- If CAHN wins against Tai Po and Macarthur loses to Beijing, CAHN will retain the top spot in the standings.
- If Macarthur earns 1 point against Beijing, both CAHN and Macarthur will finish the group stage with 11 points, but the Australian team will top the group due to a better head-to-head record against CAHN (1 win, 1 draw).
Notably, CAHN has already secured a place above Beijing thanks to their superior head-to-head record, thus firmly securing their position in the top two. The match against Tai Po is therefore a test of their ability to "frame" the outcome – a quality that often shapes the ambitions of a team aiming for the top.
Approach: maintain structure, build pace early.
Given their opponent's relaxed mindset, the sensible approach for CAHN – as Polking himself emphasized – is to maintain high concentration from the start to establish control. An early lead not only opens up options for managing stamina but also minimizes the risks from Tai Po's transitional phases. The key is to maintain the balance between pushing the pace of attack and preserving the foundation of defense, especially since the morale boost after the victory against Beijing Guan could easily lead to excessive risk-taking.
With 8 points already secured and a head-to-head advantage against Beijing FC, CAHN can focus entirely on a single goal: victory. The top spot is within reach, but a convincing performance is necessary to convert that opportunity into points.
Key details from the statement and context.
- Coach Alexandre Polking prioritizes the home advantage for the second leg in the next round – a crucial "lever" for the knockout stage.
- With no chance of advancing, Tai Po's opponents may enter the match with a relaxed mindset – a variable that CAHN must control through intensity and discipline.
- The 2-1 victory against Beijing Guan, with a last-minute goal from Dinh Bac, showed that CAHN knows how to make a difference in crucial moments.
In another development, at the Shopee Cup 2025/26, CAHN once "dropped" a victory against Buriram United due to a late mistake – a costly reminder of the importance of maintaining focus throughout the 90 minutes. From that experience to the race for the top spot in Group E, CAHN's consistent message is to turn advantage into results, not letting small details change the course of the game.
