Cong An Ha Noi suffer 1-4 defeat to Gamba Osaka in AFC Champions League Elite debut
Cong An Ha Noi FC suffered a 1-4 defeat to hosts Gamba Osaka in their opening match of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite on the evening of 15 September. The Vietnamese representatives showed periods of competitive play, but defensive mistakes and the hosts’ clinical finishing prevented CAHN from earning a point in their debut in Asia’s top-tier club competition.
28/09/2026 09:42:17
CAHN made a confident start despite playing away to Gamba Osaka, the reigning AFC Champions League Two champions. Head coach Alexandre Polking named a starting XI featuring six foreign players, along with Vietnamese overseas players Nguyen Filip and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.
In the eighth minute, Quang Hai received the ball just outside the penalty area and unleashed a powerful effort, but goalkeeper Jun Ichimori reacted quickly to make the save for the hosts. Three minutes later, Shuto Abe found space inside the CAHN penalty area and quickly got a shot away, but Nguyen Filip was well positioned to gather the ball.
After a relatively even opening period, CAHN began to face increasing pressure from Gamba Osaka’s combination play and quick ball circulation. In the 29th minute, the hosts produced a well-worked attacking move to create space for Takashi Usami, who fired a powerful and well-placed shot into the net to give Gamba Osaka a 1-0 lead.
Around 10 minutes later, CAHN came close to conceding a second goal when the ball struck Cao Pendant Quang Vinh’s hand inside the penalty area. However, after consulting VAR, the referee determined that a Gamba Osaka player had handled the ball first and did not award a penalty to the hosts.
After the break, CAHN pushed forward in search of an equaliser. In the 55th minute, Alan found space just outside the penalty area, but a Gamba Osaka defender quickly closed him down and blocked his effort.
Just three minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage. Gamba Osaka circulated the ball patiently to stretch the CAHN defence before Yamashita delivered a cross into a dangerous area, allowing Yusei Toshida to arrive and head the ball into the net.
CAHN continued to look for opportunities. Quang Hai tried his luck with a quick effort from outside the penalty area, but the shot failed to beat the Gamba Osaka goalkeeper.
In the 67th minute, the hosts scored a third goal following a defensive mistake by CAHN. Doan Van Hau lost possession in his own half, allowing Takashi Usami to shoot unchallenged and complete his brace to make it 3-0.
CAHN refused to give up and continued to push for a goal. In the 79th minute, Dinh Bac controlled the ball inside the penalty area, worked past the challenge and fired from a tight angle. The Gamba Osaka goalkeeper parried the effort, but Bryan Perea was on hand to follow up and reduce the deficit to 1-3.
In the closing stages, CAHN continued to search for a second goal but were unable to create any further clear-cut opportunities. In the third minute of stoppage time, Koshiro Sumi produced a skilful piece of play inside the penalty area before finishing precisely to seal a 4-1 victory for Gamba Osaka.
The defeat in Japan meant CAHN were unable to collect any points from their opening AFC Champions League Elite match. Despite creating several opportunities and enjoying periods of positive play, the Vietnamese representatives were punished for mistakes at key moments against an opponent that showed strong organisation and clinical finishing.
