Coach Polking and Van Hau Declare CAHN Will Beat Lion City in Asian Cup Opener

Coach Polking and defender Doan Van Hau made determined statements ahead of the opening Group B match of the 2026/27 Southeast Asian Club Cup, as Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) travel to face Lion City Sailors on October 8. Both representatives of the reigning V.League champions affirmed their goal of securing all three points while emphasising their ambition to elevate the standing of Vietnamese football on the regional stage. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Coach Polking stated that CAHN view the Asian competition as an opportunity to assert their class and raise the club's profile. He stressed that the team was not travelling to Singapore merely to participate but had set the highest targets. "We understand this is an opportunity to elevate ourselves. CAHN want to demonstrate the standing of one of Vietnam's top clubs," Coach Polking said. The strategist also confirmed that the coaching staff had prepared thoroughly for a challenging away trip against a highly-rated opponent from Singaporean football. On the player side, defender Doan Van Hau expressed similar confidence when representing the team at the press conference. "CAHN really want to win to start the journey. The whole team is ready and determined to bring home a good result," Van Hau shared. The selection of a key defender to speak to the media partly indicated a direction towards building a solid playing style, emphasising safety and transition capability for CAHN's away trip to Singapore. On the opposing side, Lion City Sailors also demonstrated no less ambition. Their player Nur Adam Abdullah declared that his team set the goal of winning in every tournament they participate in. This statement suggests that the clash between CAHN and Lion City Sailors promises to be a fierce contest between two leading representatives of Vietnamese and Singaporean football, with both viewing the regional arena as a stage to assert their standing. This is CAHN's opening group-stage match, with the club entering the early phase of the season on two fronts simultaneously: defending their V.League title and competing in the Asian cup. Coach Polking affirmed that the club needs to maintain its domestic position while continuing to successfully defend the V.League championship, alongside elevating its image on the international stage. CAHN's participation in the Southeast Asian Club Cup group stage demonstrates that the reigning V.League champions have met the registration criteria and eligibility conditions of the regional competition's organisers. This is an important factor because continental-level competitions typically apply separate regulations on player registration and foreign player quotas, differing from V.League rules. The match between CAHN and Lion City Sailors takes place against the backdrop of Vietnamese football striving to assert its position in the regional arena. V.League clubs are often regarded as having high professional standards domestically but have yet to achieve commensurate results when stepping onto the Asian stage, where representatives from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore possess stronger financial resources. Therefore, CAHN's away trip to Singapore is considered an important test of Vietnamese football's competitiveness at club level. Weather and travel factors also pose significant challenges for CAHN. Playing away in the hot and humid climate characteristic of Southeast Asia, combined with a congested V.League schedule, creates a fitness management and squad rotation puzzle for the coaching staff. These are structural risks that typically affect Vietnamese clubs' performances in regional competitions. Regarding the squad, Doan Van Hau is considered a key factor for CAHN in this away trip. The defender born in 2026, who previously played for SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands, is regarded as one of Vietnamese football's internationally-calibre players. He and his teammates are expected to deliver a positive result in the opening match, thereby creating favourable psychological momentum for the regional campaign. Despite their confident statements, neither Coach Polking nor Van Hau revealed details about tactics or the starting lineup. This means pundits can only offer speculative predictions about CAHN's approach to the match. The team is likely to adopt a compact defensive block, exploiting quick transitions and set-piece situations, which are strengths of a physically robust and experienced collective. CAHN are currently regarded as one of Vietnamese football's leading clubs, with resources linked to the Ministry of Public Security. This distinctive ownership model provides financial stability but also imposes certain governance requirements. Meanwhile, Lion City Sailors are backed by private conglomerate Sea Group, owner of major e-commerce and entertainment platforms in the region. The difference in operating models between the two clubs reflects the diverse landscape of Southeast Asian football, where clubs operate in very different ways. The match between CAHN and Lion City Sailors carries significance beyond points, serving as an opportunity for V.League players to demonstrate their abilities under the observation of clubs across the region and continent. This is seen as a "shop window" for Vietnamese players to attract attention from financially stronger leagues. Success in the regional arena could help enhance CAHN's commercial profile and recruitment capabilities in the future. For Vietnamese football as a whole, clubs participating in and performing well at regional competitions contributes to raising the V.League's coefficient on the Asian league rankings, thereby affecting the number of continental competition slots in the future. However, defeats in the regional arena could also reinforce the perception that V.League clubs are not yet capable of competing on the continental stage. With strong statements from both sides, the opening group-stage match between CAHN and Lion City Sailors is predicted to attract significant attention from football fans in Vietnam and the region. The result will partly reflect the capabilities of the reigning V.League champions when stepping onto the international stage, while shaping public opinion and expectations for CAHN's journey in the 2026/27 Asian cup.