Ninh Bình could replicate the remarkable feat achieved by HAGL two decades ago.

After the opening two rounds of the V-League 2025/26, the most notable name isn’t the usual championship favorites like CAHN, Thể Công Viettel, or Hà Nội FC, but the newcomer Ninh Bình. Coach Gerard Albadalejo’s team is determined to win the V-League immediately after promotion, just as HAGL managed in 2003.

Ninh Bình has made others cautious as Hoàng Đức and his teammates started impressively with two straight wins, scoring 7 goals and conceding only once.

In their debut match, Ninh Bình came from behind to beat Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh 3-1. In round two, they inflicted a heavy 4-goal defeat on the experienced Thanh Hóa club in the ancient capital Hoa Lư.