CAHN helps Southeast Asia set a special milestone in the Asian Champions League.

The qualification of Cong An Hanoi not only matters to Vietnam's football scene, but also gives Southeast Asia a record-high presence in the AFC Champions League Elite.

A 2-0 victory over Adelaide United on Australian soil saw Hanoi Police Club enter the League Stage of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite. This marks the first time a Vietnamese club has reached the main rounds of Asia's premier club competition since it adopted the Elite format.

With the police team joining,Southeast Asia will have a total of five representatives at the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite: CAHN, Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim, and three Thai clubs—Buriram United, Port FC, and Ratchaburi FC. That is the largest number since the AFC Champions League Elite was introduced in the 2024/25 season.

Remarkably, the next AFC Champions League Elite will feature 16 clubs in the East Zone. This means Southeast Asia alone accounts for five berths, representing over 31% of the Eastern half's participants.

This marks a major shift compared to the past two seasons. During the early years of the Elite era, Southeast Asian hopes rested largely on two familiar sides—Buriram United and Johor Darul Ta'zim—both of whom boasted solid finances, quality imports, and extensive continental experience.

Buriram advanced to the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite quarter-finals, falling only to eventual champion Al Ahli, while Johor Darul Ta'zim have also proven themselves competitive on multiple continental occasions.

This time, CAHN have carved out their own path. Lacking an automatic entry, the Vietnamese side had to defeat Adelaide United on Australian soil to secure a slot in the League Stage.

Naturally, there remains a considerable gap between Southeast Asian football and that of Japan, South Korea, or other leading Asian countries. Yet, building on the strides made by Buriram and Johor Darul Ta'zim—and now CAHN's achievement—regional clubs are proving themselves increasingly capable of delivering remarkable outcomes.

With five representatives in the mix, the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite is set to carry the most distinctive Southeast Asian flavor of any season since the competition switched to the Elite format.