The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ruled that Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) fielded two ineligible players, Rogerio Alves and Stefan Mauk, during their match at Hang Day Stadium on 11/2. Both players had accumulated three yellow cards in the group stage, which should have resulted in a suspension for the first leg of the round of 16. CAHN mistakenly registered them to play, and both foreign players started, with Alves notably scoring to extend the lead to 3-0.

According to Article 59.1.1 of the AFC Champions League Two regulations, a player accumulating yellow cards in three separate matches is automatically suspended for the subsequent game in the tournament.

Cong An Ha Noi forward Rogerio Alves (center) plays during the match against Tampines Rovers in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 round of 16, at Hang Day Stadium on 11/2. Photo: Hoang Huynh

Cong An Ha Noi forward Rogerio Alves (center) plays during the match against Tampines Rovers in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 round of 16, at Hang Day Stadium on 11/2. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The AFC's disciplinary decision, announced this afternoon, confirmed a 0-3 forfeiture for CAHN, nullifying all match statistics from the game. The club also faces a 2,000 USD fine, approximately 50 million dong. Furthermore, CAHN's 80,000 USD support fund, allocated under the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 regulations, will be reduced by 50%.

According to sources from VnExpress, CAHN submitted their player registration list to the AFC, which was subsequently approved. The club reportedly misinterpreted this approval as confirmation of Alves and Mauk's eligibility. However, the tournament regulations explicitly state that the AFC bears no responsibility for verifying player eligibility; this duty rests solely with the participating clubs.

This is not an isolated incident. In the previous ACL Two season, Singapore's Lion City Sailors also benefited from a comparable administrative oversight. Lion City had initially suffered a 1-6 defeat to Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the first leg of the quarterfinals. However, Hiroshima was found to have fielded Valere Germain, who was ineligible due to a prior suspension from his tenure with Australia's Macarthur FC. The AFC subsequently reversed Hiroshima's victory into a 0-3 loss. Capitalizing on this, Lion City only lost 0-1 in the return leg, advancing to become the first Singaporean club to reach the semifinals and then the final of an Asian club competition, ultimately losing 1-2 to Sharjah (UAE).

This first-leg blunder significantly complicates CAHN's path, transforming what seemed like a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals into a challenging uphill battle for the away return leg. Given that the tournament does not implement the away goals rule, CAHN now needs to secure a victory with a four-goal margin to advance directly. Should they achieve a three-goal difference, the match will proceed to extra time, followed by a penalty shootout if the score remains tied.

As a consequence of the club's penalty, the AFC considers Rogerio Alves and Stefan Mauk to have served their suspensions. They will therefore be eligible to participate in the return leg scheduled for tomorrow, 18/2.

Despite the setback, CAHN retains a fighting chance, especially considering their dominant performance in the initial leg. Furthermore, Tampines Rovers has recently faced internal instability, having dismissed coach Noh Rahman on 14/2.

Hieu Luong