Vietnamese football officially returns after the U23 Asian Championship finals

After the U23 Asian Championship 2026, local football will officially restart with the game featuring HAGL versus PVF CAND.

The 2025/26 National Cup is now awaiting the result of the latest Round of 16 match between PVF-CAND Club and HAGL Club, scheduled for 18:00 on January 24, to finalize the Quarterfinal fixtures. After preparation, both teams are ready to compete fiercely for a spot to advance deeper into the tournament. This promises to be a very exciting and highly competitive match...

PVF-CAND and HAGL clubs are truly evenly matched opponents, making the final outcome hard to predict. In the 2025/26 V.League 1 season, both teams have nearly identical stats: each with 1 win, 5 draws, 5 losses, totaling 8 points, sharing the 12th (HAGL) and 13th (PVF-CAND) positions on the leaderboard. In their Round 5 V.League 1-2025/26 encounter, the two sides also drew 0-0.

PVF-CAND Club has made coaching changes recently by appointing Coach Nguyễn Thành Công as head coach. This match will be his “debut” after a period of familiarization and adjustments for the upcoming journey, especially in rebuilding the defense which conceded 22 goals in 11 V.League 1 matches—the highest among participating clubs. Coach Thành Công, previously leading HL Hà Tĩnh Club, has proven his coaching ability, known for adapting resources wisely to build a cohesive team and deliver impressive performances.

HAGL Club is also a united squad, playing with high fighting spirit and creating many impressive moments against stronger teams. In the friendly tournament in Thái Nguyên at the end of December 2025, HAGL won the championship, surpassing two other notable teams: Hà Nội FC and Thể Công Viettel.

Notably, in this tournament, the Pleiku mountain town team lost 0-1 to PVF-CAND Club. Heading into the delayed Round of 16 match of the 2025/26 National Cup, HAGL will surely seek to "avenge" that loss, while PVF-CAND aims to avoid an early exit from this competition. This match will also implement VAR technology to assist referees in officiating the game.

The winner of the match at 18:00 on January 24 at the PVF stadium will face Ninh Bình Club in the Quarterfinals of the 2025/26 National Cup. Currently, the Quarterfinal matchups have been determined: SHB Đà Nẵng vs Thép Xanh Nam Định, Công an TP.HCM vs Trường Tươi Đồng Nai, and Thể Công Viettel vs Bắc Ninh.

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