Nguyen Thanh Nhan (blue shirt) is the best striker of PVF-CAND - Photo: NGOC LE
On August 2, PVF-CAND Club sent a dispatch to Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) to confirm its participation in V-League 2025 - 2026, replacing Quang Nam who withdrew from the tournament.
The fact that the runner-up of the First Division, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai, refused to be promoted is good news and an opportunity that PVF-CAND cannot miss. Because in the past 7 seasons, with strong investment and systematic operation, this team has not been able to play in the V-League even though there was a time when it was very close to the promotion ticket.
3 times missed ticket
Established in 2018, Pho Hien Club (the predecessor of PVF-CAND) is headquartered at PVF Youth Football Training Center (located in Van Giang, Hung Yen ) and uses this field as its home field.
Under the leadership of Coach Hua Hien Vinh, Pho Hien easily promoted from the National Second Division to the First Division. In the first professional season, Pho Hien Club won the runner-up position and the right to play in the promotion play-off. Unfortunately, against a veteran opponent like Thanh Hoa, Pho Hien lost and remained in the First Division.
Nguyen Xuan Bac, one of the heroes of U23 Vietnam at U23 Southeast Asia 2025, cried his eyes out when PVF-CAND lost the play-off and missed the ticket to promotion to V-League 2024 - 2025 - Photo: NGOC LE
With a policy of rejuvenating the team and making long-term investments, Pho Hien Club has chosen many players from the PVF Center to form the core of the squad. After 3 seasons of only achieving mid-level rankings, this group of young players has gradually matured, shown remarkable progress and brought the team back to being a force in the first division.
In 2023, Pho Hien Club was transferred to the Ministry of Public Security and renamed PVF-CAND. Under the leadership of coach Mauro Jeronimo (Portuguese), PVF-CAND consecutively finished second in the First Division in the 2023 and 2023-2024 seasons.
But the cruelty still haunts this team, as they lost to Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh in the respective play-off matches.
PVF-CAND's 3 defeats in the play-off matches are also a "curse" for first-class teams every time they have to play "life-or-death" matches with V-League representatives.
Nguyen Hieu Minh (left), the main central defender of U23 Vietnam, is a pillar of PVF-CAND Club - Photo: NGOC LE
The difficulty of PVF-CAND
As the last team confirmed to participate in V-League 2025 - 2026, PVF-CAND will face many difficulties in the process of preparing its forces.
PVF-CAND's squad up to this point is 100% domestic, with half of the players having grown up at PVF Center. Under the hands of coach Mauro Jeronimo (and now Thach Bao Khanh), PVF-CAND players have a good foundation, playing with a modern attacking style, with identity and lines.
The fact that many PVF-CAND players have been promoted to the U23 and Vietnam national teams in the past two years is the clearest proof of the team's professional progress.
In 2023, U23 Vietnam under the leadership of coach Philippe Troussier won the bronze medal at SEA Games 32 with 4 PVF-CAND players: Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Duc Phu, Huynh Cong Den and Le Van Do (later transferred to Hanoi Police Club).
In the same year, U23 Vietnam under the leadership of coach Hoang Anh Tuan won the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship with the only PVF-CAND player being Thai Ba Dat.
In 2024, Thanh Nhan became a rare first-class player promoted to the Vietnam national team by coach Philippe Troussier.
Under coach Kim Sang Sik, PVF-CAND players continued to be present when U23 Vietnam won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, with two pillars being Nguyen Hieu Minh and Nguyen Xuan Bac.
Nguyen Huy Hung, a key player in the PVF-CAND midfield, is a former Vietnamese national team player but is now past his prime (34 years old) - Photo: NGOC LE
But those are just some of the bright spots in the PVF-CAND squad, because the rest of the team are just ordinary famous players or old players. We can mention captain Nguyen Huy Hung, goalkeeper Phi Minh Long, defender Tran Ngoc Son or Nguyen Van Dung.
With this squad, battle experience is certainly something PVF-CAND cannot compare to other V-League clubs. PVF-CAND's current head coach is Mr. Thach Bao Khanh, a strategist with certain experience in the V-League when he used to lead The Cong - Viettel. However, if they do not promptly add personnel including foreign players and "genuine" overseas Vietnamese, they will face the risk of becoming a "bottom" team in the highest tournament in Vietnam.
V-League is approaching (starting on August 8), meaning the team only has one week to complete paperwork and legal documents to VPF. When joining V-League, the requirements of the organizing committee regarding field conditions will also bring many challenges to PVF-CAND.
Currently, PVF-CAND Club’s stadium only has one grandstand with just over 3,000 seats. It is likely that this team will have to rent another stadium as their home stadium to meet the professional requirements of the tournament organizers in the near future.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tan-binh-v-league-2025-2026-clb-pvf-cand-la-doi-nao-20250802193128929.htm
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