CLB CAHN determined to overcome difficulties in Singapore

CLB CAHN was fined 2000 USD and lost 50% of their tournament participation fee after fielding 2 suspended players. However, the Vietnamese team remains determined to overcome obstacles in the game on the night of February 18th.

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 previously accumulated three yellow cards during the group stage. Besides the loss by default, CAHN also faced financial penalties.

Firstly, 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 date the decision was issued.

Moreover, CAHN was required to return 50% of their tournament participation fee, equivalent to 40,000 USD out of the total 80,000 USD support granted under the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 regulations. If the club has already received more than 40,000 USD, they are obligated to refund the excess to the AFC.

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

The second leg will take place at 7:15 PM on February 18th (the second day of Lunar New Year) at Jalan Besar Stadium. CAHN must win by at least a three-goal margin to have hope of advancing — a very tough challenge while playing away in Singapore during the Lunar New Year period.

Under mounting pressure, composure and concentration will be key for CAHN to determine their own fate. Therefore, 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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