2026 National Super Cup: Police Force Derby Kicks Off New Football Season
CAHN and CA TP.HCM will face off in the National Super Cup on August 30th, marking the start of the 2026/27 season with several important changes to the competition format.
The 2026 National Super Cup match, scheduled for August 30th, will be the highlight of the opening 2026/27 season. This is considered a highly anticipated clash between two prominent representatives of the police force: Hanoi Police Club (CAHN) and Ho Chi Minh City Police Club.
A clash of two champions.
Entering the title match at the start of the season, CAHN holds the position of the reigning V.League champion. Meanwhile, their opponent, CA TP.HCM, is participating as the winner of the National Cup after a convincing victory against Ninh Binh on June 14th.
Based on recent head-to-head data in the V.League, the psychological advantage is clearly with coach Mano Polking's team. Last season, CAHN showed dominance by winning 1-0 in the first leg at Hang Day Stadium, before going on to defeat CA TP.HCM with a convincing 3-0 victory at Thong Nhat Stadium in the second leg.
The 2026/27 season roadmap and changes to the National Cup.
After determining the winner of the Super Cup, the Vietnamese professional league system will gradually kick off. According to the plan, the V.League 2026/27 is expected to start on September 4th, and the First Division will begin on September 11th. Notably, the new National Cup season will take place between November 6th, 2026 and May 30th, 2027.
One significant reform implemented by the organizers is the change in the format of the National Cup. Starting this season, the semi-finals will be played in a two-legged format, instead of a single knockout match as before. This adjustment aims to increase fairness and add more excitement to the most crucial stage of the tournament.
Three Vietnamese representatives will participate in the continental competition.
Besides domestic competitions, the Vietnamese football map has also identified a roadmap for three representatives to participate in international tournaments:
- CAHN:Competing in the AFC Champions League Elite play-offs and participating in the Southeast Asian Club Championship (Shopee Cup).
- Ho Chi Minh City Police:Join CAHN in the Shopee Cup competition.
- Viettel Sports:The representative will participate directly from the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two.
Participating in multiple international competitions requires clubs to have thorough preparation in terms of squad strength, promising a busy and dramatic 2026/27 season for Vietnamese football.
