Hà Nội Police FC are ready for the AFC Champions League Two for the 2025-26 season. — VNA/VNS Photo

Football

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội Police FC and Nam Định are locking in their sights on continental success as they prepare for battle in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two, aiming to lay down the law in Asia’s second-tier club competition.

Hà Nội Police booked their ticket with a National Cup triumph, while V.League 1 champions Nam Định secured their spot at the summit of domestic football. Both clubs will represent Việt Nam in the group stage, kicking off on September 16.

Drawn in Group E, Hà Nội Police face a tough lineup against Beijing Guoan (China), Macarthur FC (Australia) and Tai Po FC (Hong Kong, China). Their campaign opens with a challenging away fixture on September 18 at the iconic Workers’ Stadium in Beijing.

Nam Định, in Group F, will host Thailand’s Ratchaburi FC at Thiên Trường Stadium on September 17, before taking on Japanese giants Gamba Osaka and Eastern FC (Hong Kong, China).

The group stage runs through to December 24, with knockout rounds beginning in February 2026. The final is scheduled for May 16.

Fresh from a confidence-boosting 2-1 win over Hải Phòng in the final round of the V.League 1, Hà Nội Police departed for China in high spirits.

“The victory against Hải Phòng is a great source of motivation for me and my teammates as we look forward to the upcoming matches, starting with the away game against Beijing Guoan,” said captain Nguyễn Quang Hải.

“Beijing Guoan are a formidable opponent with a quality squad and extensive experience. However, we are in good spirits and have prepared thoroughly. We will play with the highest determination to achieve good results,” coach Alexandre Polking added.

Just before the opening match of the AFC Champions League Two, Hà Nội Police received unfortunate news as striker Alan Grafite suffered a calf injury, which will sideline him for several weeks and cause him to miss the away match against Beijing Guoan. Grafite has scored seven goals in all competitions and is currently the best-performing foreign striker in V.League 1. Last season, he was the league's top scorer with 14 goals.

Grafite's absence is a significant loss for Hà Nội Police’s attacking line, placing more pressure on midfielder Quang Hải to deliver.

Beijing Guoan are the highest-rated team in Group E, having reached the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League in 2010. They have won the domestic championship once, the National Cup four times and the Chinese Super Cup twice.

Nam Định are demonstrating strong determination this season by adding a number of quality foreign players including South African midfielder Njabulo Bloms and striker Percy Tau, who has played in the English Premier League. They aim to advance past the group stage in what is considered a manageable group.

Nam Định's squad, valued at 9.21 million euros (US$10.7 million), ranks ninth among clubs participating in the AFC Champions League Two 2025-26. This valuation positions them alongside prominent teams on the continent such as Al-Nassr, Al-Wasl, Gamba Osaka and Pohang Steelers.

Playing at home against a similarly matched opponent, Nam Định are expected to secure all three points against Ratchaburi on September 17.

Nam Định also competed in last season’s edition, collecting 11 points in the group stage before being eliminated in the round of 16 by Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan). — VNS