Bac Dinh and Quang Hai travel abroad on the 29th day of Tet

CAHN traveled to Singapore to compete in the second leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 on the very last day of the lunar year.

On February 16, the 29th day of Tet, coach Alexandre Polking and his team left Hanoi for Singapore aiming to secure their spot in the quarterfinals. The trip took place just hours before the Lunar New Year’s Eve, amid ongoing anticipation regarding the verdict related to the first leg of the Round of 16.

The rematch against Tampines Rovers is scheduled for 7:15 PM on February 18 (the second day of Tet) at Jalan Besar Stadium. In the previous encounter at Hang Day Stadium on February 11, Hanoi Police FC won decisively 4-0, gaining a significant advantage before heading into the away match.

That victory seemed to have put the Vietnamese representative one step closer to advancing. However, complications arose with the possibility of the team being penalized with a 0-3 loss for fielding an ineligible player. This news greatly heightened tension in the lead-up to the second leg.

According to data published by ESPN, midfielder Stefan Mauk and forward Rogerio Alves had both accumulated three yellow cards during the group stage. Their latest cards were received in the final match against Tai Po, meaning a suspension should be enforced immediately for the knockout round.

Nonetheless, both players started in the first leg. Mauk played the full 90 minutes, while Alves was substituted off in the 64th minute after scoring the third goal. If AFC enforces the suspension, having an “ineligible” player score could worsen CAHN’s situation significantly.

Facing this risk, coach Polking remained resolute. He emphasized that the entire team must stay fully focused on the rematch and is prepared to defeat the opponent again on Singapore soil. While awaiting the final decision, maintaining fighting spirit is what the coach demands from his players.

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