Hanoi Police Club rematches Thai football "giant"

(NLDO) - The draw results for the 2025-2026 Southeast Asian Cup C1 group stage put Hanoi Police Club in a rematch with the reigning champion of the tournament.

Hanoi Police Club suffered a bitter defeat in the final of the 2024-2025 Southeast Asian Cup C1. Coach Polking's team dominated Buriram United for most of the match, taking the lead twice but the opponent equalized and then lost in the penalty shootout in Thailand.

Hanoi Police Club is the current runner-up of the Southeast Asian Cup C1.

This season, the Public Security team and Nam Dinh Club are the two representatives of Vietnamese football participating in the 2025-2026 Southeast Asian Cup C1.

The draw results on July 4 put Hanoi Police Club in group A, along with the following clubs: Buriram United, BG Pathum United (Thailand), Selangor FC (Malaysia), Tampines Rovers (Singapore) and the winner of the play-off match between Kasuka FC (Cambodia) - Dynamic Herb Cebu FC (Philippines).

In Group B, the reigning V-League champions will face the following opponents: Bangkok United (Thailand), Johor Darul Tazim (Malaysia), Lion City Sailors (Singapore), Svay Rieng (Cambodia) and the winner of the play-off match between Ezra FC (Laos) - Shan United (Myanmar).

Results of the draw for the 2025-2026 Southeast Asian Cup C1 group stage

The 2025-2026 AFF Club Championship marks a major shift as it expands from 12 to 14 teams, increases the total number of matches from 42 to 54 and extends the duration to 13 match days. The tournament consists of 5 stages: play-off round, group stage, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

The play-off stage is scheduled to take place on August 8. The group stage will be played in a round-robin format from August 2025 to February 2026, with each team playing three home and three away matches. The top four teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for February 26 and 27, 2026. The semi-finals are scheduled for May 6 and 13. In the knockout rounds, teams will play in a two-legged format (home and away). The two finals will be held in a similar format, scheduled for May 20 and 27, 2026.

Expanding the tournament scale and adjusting the competition schedule is expected to improve professional quality, increase competitiveness and contribute to promoting the development of professional football in Southeast Asia.

The two V-League teams participating in this Southeast Asian Cup C1 are highly appreciated by experts for their strength and are expected to become two candidates in the race for the championship.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/clb-cong-an-ha-noi-tai-dau-ong-lon-bong-da-thai-lan-196250704165356786.htm