Hanoi Police make history in Asia's most prestigious club competition

CAHN made history for Vietnamese football when they beat Adelaide United (Australia) 2-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 play-off, securing their place as the first Vietnamese team to reach the League Stage of the top Asian club competition.

Playing away in Adelaide on the evening of August 11, the team coached by Alexandre Polking started proactively and created early chances. In the 5th minute, Koko skillfully broke free from a defender outside the box and unleashed a curving shot that forced goalkeeper Joshua Smits to dive, but the ball went just wide of the post.

Adelaide United responded with a free kick from Juan Muniz in the 10th minute. The ball cleared the wall but went wide of the post, leaving goalkeeper Nguyen Filip helpless.

The home side then maintained pressure, but most of the dangerous opportunities came from long-range shots. Ryan White fired a shot from about 25 meters, but it sailed over the crossbar.

In a tightly contested match, CAHN unexpectedly created a turning point just before halftime. In the 41st minute, Koko delivered a delicate pass behind the Adelaide defense for Alan Grafite Henen to run onto. The Belgian striker beat Panagiotis Kikianis before coolly finishing past Smits to give CAHN a 1-0 lead.

The goal gave the Vietnamese representative a significant psychological advantage going into the second half. Adelaide was forced to push forward in search of an equalizer, but that created gaps behind their defense.

In the 64th minute, CAHN fully exploited the home side's organizational errors. Henen had plenty of space on the right flank and advanced comfortably before spotting a cross into the center. Koko arrived timely in the box, handled it neatly, and fired to double CAHN's lead.

In the remaining time, Adelaide United poured forward into CAHN's half and applied considerable pressure. Nguyen Filip had to show his reflexes when he dived to save a shot from Ethan Alagich early in the second half.

However, CAHN's defense remained focused and well-organized to neutralize the home side's late efforts. Adelaide could not find a goal to reduce the deficit and accepted a 0-2 defeat.

This victory sent CAHN into the League Stage of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite. It is the first time a Vietnamese club has advanced past the play-off round to participate in the main stage of Asia's most prestigious club competition.

According to the schedule, the draw for the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite will take place in Kuala Lumpur on August 18.

Following the loss to CAHN, Adelaide United will drop down to compete in the group stage of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two.