The race for promotion is tense.

With 1.5 promotion slots and three ambitious teams, the 2025-2026 First Division, which kicks off today (September 19), promises to be very exciting.

Minh Vuong (left) in the victory over Becamex TP.HCM in the 2025-2026 National Cup qualifying round - Photo: TTDN FC

Strong candidate: Truong Tuoi Dong Nai

That is because Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Club (TTDN) has bought many quality players to serve the promotion goal.

Among their 12 new recruits, there are many names that have played for the Vietnam national team or U23 such as Minh Vuong, Xuan Truong, Huu Tuan, Tran Quang Thinh, Ho Thanh Minh, Cao Tran Hoang Hung...

It is worth mentioning that TTDN's quality players are spread across all three lines. Their attack line still has plenty of good strikers.

In addition to Cong Phuong, Luu Tu Nhan (top scorer last season) or Le Thanh Binh, two new players Ho Thanh Minh and Alex Sandro (Brazil) have shown that they are equally dangerous. Alex Sandro has scored in the National Cup and has shown that he will play even better in the First Division.

More importantly, the team is led by a good coach, Nguyen Viet Thang - who once led Ninh Binh Club to absolute championship in the 2024-2025 First Division. With both good soldiers and generals, TTDN is the number 1 candidate for the championship.

Challenges from Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh

Although they did not shop as much as TTDN, the two clubs Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh also showed that their squads have depth and can completely compete for promotion.

Standing out in the Bac Ninh Club squad are former national team players or experienced players in the V-League such as goalkeeper Huynh Tan Linh, midfielder Nguyen Hai Huy, striker Ngan Van Dai, Ha Duc Chinh, Mai Xuan Quyet, Pham Van Thanh...

In addition, the Kinh Bac team also took full advantage of the regulations by bringing in Swedish-Vietnamese midfielder Eddie Tran and striker Kaina Nunes (Brazil).

Among them, Kaina Nunes has an impressive physique (1.96m tall) and outstanding aerial ability for any domestic defense. Because in the First Division, all teams have a policy of reserving the only foreign player slot for foreign players.

Notably, Bac Ninh is the only team led by a foreign coach. Coach Paulo Foiani, a Brazilian who briefly led the Hanoi Police Club in the 2023 season, is expected to help Bac Ninh Club have an impressive performance and win promotion. Therefore, Bac Ninh Club has an impressive run before entering the First Division.

Highlights include two victories against the top-ranked team Cong An Ha Noi 1-0 (Mai Xuan Quyet scored) and Truong Tuoi Dong Nai 2-1 (Kaina Nunes scored twice) in two friendly matches.

Meanwhile, although Quang Ninh Club's strength is not comparable to TTDN or Bac Ninh, it does not hide its ambition to be promoted.

Coach Nguyen Van Dan also has former national players such as Vu Minh Tuan, Nghiem Xuan Tu, Mac Hong Quan, Bui Van Hieu... Therefore, if he makes a mistake in the long-distance race, one of the three candidates above could have to leave the race regrettably.

l Live broadcast schedule for the two opening matches on September 19: Khanh Hoa - Long An (5:00 p.m., FPT Play Live broadcast), Quy Nhon United - Van Hien University (6:00 p.m., FPT Play Live broadcast).

First time having foreign soldiers

Because Hoa Binh Club withdrew from the tournament close to the opening day, the tournament organizers had to draw lots to schedule the matches twice for the 2025-2026 First Division. Because the tournament only has 12 teams left, VFF and VPF decided to only have 1.5 places to promote to V-League next season instead of 2 as originally planned.

Accordingly, the champion team will receive a direct promotion ticket. The runner-up team will win a play-off spot with the second-to-last team in the V-League 2025-2026 to determine the 14th team to participate in the highest tournament in Vietnam in 2026-2027.

This is the first season since 2014 that first division teams are allowed to register a foreign player. This promises to bring better professional quality to the tournament.

NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cang-thang-cuoc-dua-thang-hang-2025091909504293.htm