In a recent interview with the organizers, midfielder Nguyễn Quang Hải mentioned that Công An Hà Nội FC is targeting to win all remaining games in Group A of the Shopee Cup amid the capital club’s effort to qualify for the knockout rounds.
After three rounds, the representative of V-League has only accumulated 4 points and currently sits fourth in the group. Coach Mano Polking’s team will face Selangor FC away — who are second in the group — before returning home to host Tampines Rovers FC, the leaders of Group A.
Reflecting on the journey so far, Quang Hải shared: “After the first three matches, both myself and the entire team have given our maximum effort in each game. However, the results so far have not fully met our expectations.”
The midfielder born in 1997 emphasized the importance of the upcoming phase: “The whole team will carefully review each match, learn necessary lessons, and focus on the forthcoming games — which are very significant and decisive for our goal of advancing.”
According to Quang Hải, Công An Hà Nội has little room for error if they want to reach the knockout stage: “In my opinion, to advance to the next round, the team must keep working hard, maintain high concentration, and achieve good results in every match. The key factor is to accumulate the maximum points, especially in home games.”
Last season, CAHN easily passed the group stage of the Shopee Cup as group leaders. However, according to Quang Hải, the challenge this year is much tougher:
“Last year, many opponents were not yet familiar with CAHN, so things were quite different,” Quang Hải explained. “This year, teams have prepared more thoroughly, so we need to keep improving and developing, both in terms of personnel and tactical approach.”
Although excited to face top clubs in the region, Quang Hải affirmed that CAHN does not want to miss the chance to go further than last season.
“Playing regularly and competing against strong opponents in a tournament like the Shopee Cup allows players to gain a lot of practical experience,” he said. “These experiences benefit not only individuals but also strengthen the cohesion and overall development of the entire team.”
“For both myself and the team, these are very valuable lessons. They will help CAHN continue to improve and mature. And if given another opportunity to compete for the championship, we definitely will not let it slip away and will do everything to aim for the highest goal," Quang Hải concluded.