CAND Sets Sail: The V-League Promotion Target and the Problem Named 'Ghost'

This afternoon, at the central stadium of the People's Public Security force in Hanoi, the atmosphere did not resemble a typical first training session of a First Division team. A host of television cameras, a team of sports journalists, and high-ranking officials in plain clothes but with the sharp eyes of security professionals gathered. They were not there to watch an ordinary training session. They were there to witness a declaration: CAND Football Club (Cong An Nhan Dan) will return to the V-League after the 2026-2027 season. The season has not started, but the narrative has already been shaped. Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang affirmed the special attention of the sector to football. The club chairman pledged to "concretize" all directives. Head coach Nguyen Duc Thang, who won the 2026 V-League with Viettel, stood there with an ambitious contract. Everything converges on one goal: finishing at the top of the First Division and earning promotion. But I am not here to listen to promises. I am here to look at the squad structure, the cash flow, and the calculations behind. Because for me, people look at the price tag, I look at the debt behind. And in Vietnamese football, no debt is more frightening than a political promise. Ghosts do not disappear; they just change their jersey colors. This summer, the name PVF-CAND disappeared from the professional football map, making way for Hung Yen Club. An administrative restructuring, but behind it lies a whole calculation about resources and focus. Separating the "youth team" from the "big team" is a smart financial move. CAND can now focus its budget on the first team, while Hung Yen (with PVF's backing) handles youth development. A classic balance sheet clearing. But the story does not stop at the split. Look at the list of players brought in. Goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu, a true leader with V-League and national team experience. Le Viktor, a Vietnamese-Czech striker with European football knowledge. Minh Vuong, Do Phi Long, Pham Ly Duc, Pham Minh Phuc, Thanh Nhan... This squad is not built to "compete" in the First Division; it is built to "dominate" it. Numbers do not lie, but the people reading them can. Looking at this squad, I recall how Nguyen Duc Thang operated Viettel in the 2026 season. That army team did not play expansive, beautiful football. They played pragmatic, disciplined football, solid defense, and maximized set-piece situations. They scored fewer goals than many other teams, but they conceded the fewest. And they won the title. Duc Thang brings that tactical DNA to CAND. In the First Division, where many opponents will sit deep and defend in numbers, CAND will dominate possession, patiently build up, and wait for mistakes. But the key lies at the back. Nguyen Dinh Trieu is not just a goalkeeper; he is a tactical anchor. His command of the defense, his reading of the game, and his ability with the ball at his feet will be a weapon that few First Division clubs possess. However, there is a question I always ask of teams like this: what if Plan A fails? Football does not operate on administrative directives. If CAND finds themselves chasing the game in the final rounds, will Duc Thang have the flexibility to change? The presence of Le Viktor and Minh Vuong suggests the potential to switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 diamond when more attacking impetus is needed. But that takes time to refine, and pressure from above may not allow for that patience. I have watched Duc Thang's matches at Binh Dinh, where he showed a willingness to press high against weaker opponents. In the First Division, against inferior opposition, CAND may employ aggressive high pressing to force turnovers in advanced areas. But pressing requires fitness, and fitness requires careful preparation. With the congested fixture schedule of the First Division, this is a potential risk. The financial story is also worth examining. CAND is a financial "superpower" of the First Division. No other club can match the resource backing of the Ministry of Public Security. This creates a "PSG of the First Division" dynamic where anything less than promotion would be a failure. But this strength is also a double-edged sword. It creates enormous expectations, and when expectations are not met, the disappointment will be even more severe. Another issue: the wage structure. To attract players like Trieu, who could command V-League wages, CAND must either pay above the First Division average or offer non-financial incentives (stable jobs in the police force after retirement). This could create wage disparity within the squad. I have seen dressing rooms fall apart over such small matters. And there is a bigger question: the relationship between CAND and Hung Yen. Both play in the First Division, both trace their lineage to the Ministry of Public Security. Will the VFF view this as a related-party structure requiring special scrutiny? I am not saying there will be wrongdoing, but in football, transparency in ownership and governance is the foundation of fairness. Internationally, there are precedents for multi-club models (Red Bull, City Football Group), but they operate with clear governance separation. The question is whether the CAND-Hung Yen model achieves that separation. Back to the opening match. On September 11, CAND will host Long An at home. This is a "must-win" match to control the media narrative. A convincing victory will reinforce confidence and build momentum. Conversely, a draw or loss will immediately raise questions about whether the team is overhyped. For a team backed by state budget, this pressure is even greater. I have witnessed too many times teams expected to succeed collapse because they could not bear the weight of their own expectations. The question is not whether CAND has enough talent. They do. The question is whether they have enough character to overcome difficult moments, matches where nothing goes according to plan, and pressures from outside the pitch. Losing 180 million euros because you don't trust your feet — that is the price of conservatism. But here, the price of recklessness could be even higher. If CAND gets promoted, they will join CAHN in the V-League, creating a pair of "police clubs" in the top flight. That raises questions about competitive balance and the dominance of the "state club" model. Is that good for Vietnamese football? Ghost contracts do not need real signatures, just a stamp. But the promotion ticket requires real victories on the pitch. And on the pitch, no stamp helps you score goals. Only preparation, discipline, and character. I will closely follow CAND's journey this season. Not because I believe the declarations, but because I want to see if this winning machine operates smoothly when facing the harsh reality of First Division football. And I am particularly interested in how Duc Thang navigates when Plan A no longer works, when opponents park the bus and referees make controversial decisions. In CAND's last three pre-season friendlies, I noted solidity in defense but stagnation in attack against low-block opponents. This is a worrying signal. If they cannot improve their ability to break down massed defenses, CAND will face significant difficulties in matches where they are heavy favorites. Ghosts do not disappear; they just change their jersey colors. This season, the ghost named "expectation" will haunt CAND at every ground. And there is only one way to dispel it: victory. Convincing victories, consistent victories, and ultimately the First Division championship trophy. Everything else is just empty words. People look at the price tag, I look at the debt behind. And the biggest debt CAND is carrying is the promise made to the Minister, to the fans, and to themselves. Will they repay that debt by May next year? I will return at that time to verify.