In the 80th minute, Rogerio Alves and He Yupeng collided near the halfway line on Cong An Ha Noi's left flank. The Beijing defender initially lay outside the touchline but was then moved onto the field for medical attention. A scuffle then broke out.
The broadcast did not show the initial collision. Instead, the camera focused on the two teams' technical areas. Except for Beijing's coach, Quique Setien, all other staff members stood up to watch, but no one ran onto the field.
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Stefan Mauk reacts to He Yupeng lying on the ground, starting the brawl in the 80th minute of the Cong An Ha Noi vs. Beijing Guoan match in the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026, at Workers' Stadium, Beijing on 18/9/2025. (Photo: [Source Name]) |
Stefan Mauk reacts to He Yupeng lying on the ground, starting the brawl in the 80th minute of the Cong An Ha Noi vs. Beijing Guoan match in the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026, at Workers' Stadium, Beijing on 18/9/2025. (Photo: [Source Name])
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Two referees intervene between the players. (Photo: [Source Name]) |
Two referees intervene between the players. (Photo: [Source Name])
After the match, video of the incident was posted by Chinese fans on social media platforms like Weibo, Sina, and 163. The confrontation, lasting about 30 seconds, was intense.
As He Yupeng received medical attention, Stefan Mauk approached, urging him to move off the field, which sparked the scuffle. When Mauk was pushed against the advertising boards, Alan Sebastiao grabbed He Yupeng's leg and pulled him toward the sideline. Goalkeeper Nureli Abbas rushed in and pushed the Cong An Ha Noi forward away. He Yupeng also got up and joined the shoving. Another Beijing player then confronted Alan, leading to more pushing and shoving between players from both sides.
Seeing his teammates involved, Cao Quang Vinh, who had initially been separated from the incident, rushed back in. Wu Shaocong grabbed the French-Vietnamese player by the neck and pulled him away. Even after being released, Quang Vinh remained agitated and continued to confront Wu, prompting Cao Yongjing to intervene and call for calm.
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Beijing Guoan and Cong An Ha Noi players clash. (Photo: [Source Name]) |
Beijing Guoan and Cong An Ha Noi players clash. (Photo: [Source Name])
As Beijing players pushed Alan against the advertising boards, Stefan Mauk, Hugo Gomes, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, and Rogerio Alves intervened. Le Pham Thanh Long and Nguyen Filip then joined. At this point, objects were thrown from Stand B, occupied by Beijing fans, accompanied by shouting and cursing.
An object, seemingly a water bottle, hit a Beijing medical staff member and then struck Thanh Long in the face. Beijing players raised their hands to calm their fans and moved away with the Cong An Ha Noi players. Stefan Mauk reacted angrily, exchanging words with the fans, and was restrained by a Beijing player.
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Fans in Stand B at Workers' Stadium throw an object that hits midfielder Le Pham Thanh Long. (Photo: [Source Name]) |
Fans in Stand B at Workers' Stadium throw an object that hits midfielder Le Pham Thanh Long. (Photo: [Source Name])
With no VAR in use, the Thai refereeing team had to make decisions based on what they saw. Referee Wiwat Jumpaoon initially booked Cao Quang Vinh and Wu Shaocong. He then consulted with his three assistants near Stand A and informed the match organizers about the incident.
The stadium announcer asked fans to remain calm. After a two-minute discussion, Wiwat also booked Stefan Mauk and Wang Ziming. No red cards were shown.
However, both teams are likely to face further sanctions from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The match organizers may also face penalties for the fans' behavior.
This is not the first time a Chinese club has been involved in such an incident in Asian competition. In 2023, Zhejiang and Buriram United clashed in the AFC Champions League 2023-2024 group stage. The AFC fined each team 10,000 USD. One Buriram player received an eight-match ban, and two others were banned for six matches. Zhejiang had three players banned for eight matches, and one player and two staff members banned for six.
Cong An Ha Noi played a more structured attacking game. They opened the scoring in the 15th minute through Vitao and created several good chances but couldn't convert them.
In the second half, Beijing Guoan equalized in the 49th minute with a deflected long-range shot. In the 65th minute, Zhang Yuan capitalized on a mistake by Nguyen Filip to give Beijing the lead. However, Cong An Ha Noi earned a point thanks to Rogerio Alves's 73rd-minute equalizer.
Beijing and Cong An Ha Noi are second and third in Group E, respectively. Tai Po of Hong Kong leads the group after a 2-1 victory over Macarthur FC of Australia.
The second round of matches will take place on 2/10. Tai Po will host Beijing, and Cong An Ha Noi will face Macarthur.
Trung Thu
