Hanoi FC beat Turkish team Altyn Asyr on Tuesday to reach the inter-zonal finals of the AFC Cup, only the second time a Vietnamese team has progressed this far in the competition.
Hanoi FC won 5-4 on aggregate after captain Nguyen Van Quyet scored two goals, VnExpress reports. The only other Vietnamese team to reach this stage of the competition was Becamex Binh Duong in 2009.
The route to the final of the entire tournament is convoluted and complicated. Teams first enter a group stage and compete against other club teams from their region. Vietnamese teams played against other ASEAN clubs.
The winner of the group stages then enters the zonal finals and then inter-zonal finals, where winning teams from each region enter a knockout stage. The ultimate final of the entire competition doesn’t take place until November 2.
The Vietnamese Football Federation has already rewarded Hanoi FC VND300 million for reaching the zonal finals earlier this year. Their next game will be the first leg of the inter-zonal finals on September 25.
[Photo via Fox Sports Asia]
