Besides being handed a 0-3 defeat, CAHN was also fined by the AFC

CAHN Club was fined 2,000 USD and lost 50% of their tournament participation fee after fielding two suspended players.

As previously reported, the AFC officially ruled a 0-3 loss for CAHN in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16 against Tampines Rovers due to the use of two ineligible players: midfielder Stefan Ingo Mauk and forward Rogerio Alves Dos Santos. Both had already accumulated three yellow cards during the group stage. Beyond the forfeit, CAHN also faced financial penalties.

First, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed that Hanoi Police FC was fined 2,000 USD under Article 56 of the Disciplinary and Ethics Code. This amount must be paid within 30 days from the issuance of the decision.

Moreover, CAHN was required to return 50% of their participation fee, equivalent to 40,000 USD out of the total 80,000 USD support as stipulated by the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 regulations. If the club has already received more than 40,000 USD, they must reimburse the difference to the AFC.

To avoid misunderstandings, the AFC clarified that according to Article 14.6, Mauk and Rogerio are considered to have served an automatic one-match suspension during the first leg (the 0-3 forfeit) and are eligible to play in the second leg. Before the penalty, CAHN had won decisively 4-0 at Hang Day Stadium on February 11, gaining a significant advantage. However, the AFC’s decision erased all that advantage, putting the Vietnamese team in a difficult position.

The second leg will take place at 19:15 on February 18 (the second day of Lunar New Year) at Jalan Besar Stadium. CAHN must win by at least a three-goal margin to have a chance to advance — a very tough challenge given they are playing away in Singapore during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Under intense pressure, composure and focus will be key for CAHN to determine their own fate. Thus, the second leg in Singapore is not only a battle for progression but also a chance to assert the spirit and status of the Vietnamese representative on the continental stage.

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