Hanoi FC and the challenges at the beginning of the season

In the 2025-2026 National Cup Qualifiers, Hanoi will face The Cong Viettel to compete for a place in the next round. This is another challenge for coach Teguramori and his team.

Hanoi FC had an unfavorable start to the new season. They only got 1 point after 3 matches in V.League. They lost to two direct competitors, Hanoi Police and Ho Chi Minh City Police. Hanoi FC also had a regrettable draw with Hoang Anh Gia Lai. The result made the team's leadership unhappy. Coach Teguramori's future also became uncertain.

After losing 2-4 to Hanoi Police at the end of August, coach Teguramori said: “This is a sad result. I came here to help Hanoi FC win the V.League championship, but the current results are not good. The decision on my position will be made by the club's leadership. There are many reasons for our poor start to the season. A week ago, the team had just had enough players, so the lineup has not been able to work together yet.”

The FIFA Days break in September is the time for coach Teguramori to review and evaluate the Hanoi FC squad. Because the results of the upcoming matches will not only decide the situation of Hanoi FC but also the position of the Japanese coach.

Hanoi FC will face a challenge against The Cong Viettel . Photo: VPF.

On September 14, Hanoi FC will face The Cong in the National Cup Qualifiers. This will be a big challenge for coach Teguramori and his team. Because The Cong Viettel is having a favorable start in the V.League with 7 points and is in 3rd place. Facing a strong team in the qualifying round forces Hanoi FC to put all their efforts to win at all costs.

According to VPF, the two candidates, who both possess many stars, will certainly create an attractive match that is the focus of the professional aspect of this round. If only based on the performance in the opening 3 matches of V.League, The Cong Viettel will of course be rated higher (2 wins, 1 draw compared to 1 draw, 2 losses).

At Hang Day Stadium, with a fiery attacking style of play, coach Popov and his team drew with Hanoi Police in another "derby" match before winning both remaining matches against opponents from Ho Chi Minh City. After this match, the two teams will continue to meet in round 4 of V.League on September 20. Therefore, this can be considered a very worth-watching intellectual match with a slight advantage for The Cong Viettel.

Hanoi FC has set a goal of winning the domestic tournaments this season, if they are eliminated early in the National Cup, they will not be able to complete the task. Therefore, this can also be considered the match that will decide the future of coach Teguramori.

In the 2024-2025 V.League, coach Makoto Teguramori helped Hanoi FC finish as runner-up. If he had not stumbled against Nam Dinh in the "6-point" match, the Japanese coach could have completely helped this team win the championship. Thanks to that achievement, coach Makoto Teguramori was asked to extend his contract with Hanoi FC until the end of the 2025-2026 season. However, if he stumbles at the beginning of the season, it is likely that he will be dismissed soon.

The positive point is that Hanoi FC has a good squad. Xuan Manh, Duy Manh, Tuan Hai have just returned from the training session with the national team. Midfielder Nguyen Van Truong - captain of U23 Vietnam is also in good form and in high spirits when returning to his home club. These players will return to the Hanoi FC squad with high spirits.

The match between Hanoi FC and The Cong Viettel will take place at 7:15 p.m. on September 14 at Hang Day Stadium.

Cong Phuong received shirt number 10

Truong Tuoi Dong Nai team has announced the registration list for the 2025-2026 season, in which striker Nguyen Cong Phuong officially received shirt number 10.

This is the shirt number associated with the career of the player born in 1995 at Hoang Anh Gia Lai as well as the national team levels. In addition, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai club also chose Cong Phuong as captain in the 2025-2026 season.

In the 2024-2025 season, when he first joined Truong Tuoi Dong Nai, Cong Phuong wore the number 70 shirt and scored 7 goals in the First Division, making an important contribution to the team's achievements. Returning to the number 10 is considered an important milestone, marking the striker's confidence after a period of regaining his form.

The last time Cong Phuong wore the number 10 shirt at the club level was for Hoang Anh Gia Lai in V.League 2021. When playing abroad, he often did not keep his familiar shirt number: number 28 at Yokohama (Japan), number 15 at Sint-Truidense (Belgium), number 23 at Incheon United (Korea), number 16 at Mito Hollyhock (Japan) and number 21 at Ho Chi Minh City.

The number 10 shirt once brought a lot of expectations but also pressure for Cong Phuong, especially since the time he shone with U19 Vietnam and then Hoang Anh Gia Lai in V.League 2015. At that time, the Nghe An striker chose the number 44 shirt to reduce pressure from fans.

After an unsuccessful period in Japan, Cong Phuong returned to Vietnam and chose the number 70 shirt, thereby gradually finding his scoring touch again. Returning to number 10 in the new season is expected to help him reassert his leadership role in the attack of Truong Tuoi Dong Nai.

HH

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/ha-noi-fc-va-thu-thach-dau-mua-giai-i781225/