AFC Cup draw: Vietnam have two representatives
Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Coal are in Group H of the Asian Football Confederation Cup 2017, according to the draw organised on December 13 in Selangor, Malaysia.
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Quang Ninh Coal are the National Cup winners, while Hanoi T&T are the champions of the national premier league, V.League.
Quang Ninh Coal will play Yadanarbon (Myanmar), Lanexang United (Laos) and the winners of the match between Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodia) and Home United (Singapore).
Hanoi T&T will face Felda Utd (Malaysia), Tampines Rovers (Singapore) and Ceres Negros (the Philippines).
Hanoi T&T are the sole team from Vietnam to compete at the AFC Champions League, the highest level in continental club tournaments. If they fail to enter the final round, they will participate in the AFC Cup. If they are successful, SHB Da Nang, the V.League’s third-placed team, will replace them in Group G.
There are seven different groups comprising 28 clubs from Asia.
They will compete in a round robin format, with the strongest team from each group entering the next round.
“It is the first time Quang Ninh Coal are taking part in this continental competition so we have no idea about our rivals,” the club’s President Pham Manh Hung said.
“But we know we should not look down on clubs from Laos and Cambodia. We respect all teams,” he said.
“We are representing Vietnam. We will compete with determination and with the strongest squad. We are playing for honour.”
The president also added that international competitions are great opportunities for his players to acquire more experience for the future, in particular as a club.
The play-off and preliminary stages will be organised on January 30-31, while the final round will be held one month later.
