On the evening of September 14, Hanoi FC lost 0-1 to The Cong Viettel in the qualifying round of the 2025-2026 National Cup. This result caused Hanoi to be eliminated from the tournament early. The only goal of the army team was scored in the 79th minute by Pedro Henrique.
At the post-match press conference, coach Makoto Teguramori could not hide his disappointment: "My students were shocked by this result. Although we carefully studied the opponent, we still made mistakes and let them counterattack. Right after this press conference, I will go into the dressing room to cheer on the players."
Mr. Teguramori added: "I feel very sorry. This year is very important for Hanoi when the team celebrates its 20th anniversary and aims to have at least 1 title. We have been eliminated from the National Cup and only have V.League left. The road ahead is still long. I will be the one who be responsible for the team's achievements.
I think we may have won the runner-up last season, so this season everyone is a bit subjective. In addition, there are some other factors that have caused Hanoi to have a bad start, such as preparing for the force before the season".
On The Cong Viettel's side, coach Velizar Popov appeared modest: "This was a very difficult match for us. Hanoi is the best team in Vietnam but did not start as expected and was unlucky. The National Cup is a knockout arena, every mistake has to pay. This is a match with nothing to lose for both of them. We seized the opportunity and continued."
With this victory, The Cong Viettel will face Hanoi Police in the upcoming round of 16.
Meanwhile, the head coach position of Mr. Makoto Teguramori continues to be under great pressure, as the capital team has gone through a series of 4 consecutive matches without a win since the beginning of the season.
