HANOI: Cong An Hanoi FC forward Nguyen Dinh Bac is relishing leading his club into their Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup season 2026/27 campaign when the competition returns for its third edition next month.
The 22-year-old was instrumental in Vietnam’s Asean Hyundai Cup success in August, securing the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award as the Golden Star Warriors defended their title with victory over Thailand in the final.
“I think competitions such as the Shopee Cup and the AFC competitions give us the opportunity to face many strong teams from South-East Asia and Asia,” said Đình Bắc.
“These are very good and valuable matches for us. We need to play against strong teams so that we can learn, gain experience and develop at the Asian level.”
Cong An will be appearing in the region’s premier club competition for the third season in a row having memorably reached the final in the inaugural edition, where they lost in a penalty shoot-out to Thailand’s Buriram United FC at the end of a classic encounter.
The Mano Pölking-coached outfit missed out on a place in the knock-out rounds last season but return once more after securing the V.League 1 title.
They will kick off their latest campaign against Singapore’s Lion City Sailors FC, who recently appointed former Buriram United head coach Mark Jackson to helm the team, in Group B on October 8.
“Personally, I want to contribute as much as I can to Cong An Hanoi,” said Dình Bac. “If I look back at how I have reached the point where I can sit here today and play for the Vietnam national team, Cong An Hanoi has been an important stepping stone for me.
“Before joining this club, I went through many difficulties. After joining the club, working alongside the coaching staff and senior players helped me improve a lot.
“The senior players have always guided me in training and in matches, and I think in the coming period I will continue to compete alongside my teammates in many different competitions.
“I believe Cong An Hanoi have bigger ambitions on the international stage. After the team qualified, everyone was very excited about the opportunity to face strong teams from Asia.”
Dinh Bac was released by the academy side of hometown club Sông Lam Nghệ An during his teenage years because he was deemed to be too small but after a spell out of the sport, he joined the Quảng Nam FC academy before signing for the Hanoi outfit.
A growth spurt had seen him develop during his time outside the academy system and he has since gone on to become one of Vietnam’s leading players, finishing as joint-top scorer in the 30th anniversary of the Asean top tournamnent last month with five goals.
Now, Dình Bac is turning his sights towards doing something similar for his club side.
“I think the team is preparing well,” he said. “The core of the squad is still similar to last season so, personally, I will just give my best on the pitch.
“Whenever the coaching staff gives me their trust and an opportunity, I will do everything I can to make the most of it.”
The Shopee Cup returns on October 7 with the Group Stage expanded from 12 to 14 teams and with the top four finishers in each of the seven-team groups advancing to the newly installed quarter-final phase.
The knock-out rounds will start next May, with the two-legged final to be played on June 17 and 30. Stay up to date with the latest news, fixtures, results and updates from the tournament at https://aseanutdfc.com/
