ACL Two: Cong An Hanoi Victory Maybe 'Nullified'

Cong An Ha Noi are staring down the barrel of an AFC disciplinary hammer that could derail their continental dreams. Despite a dominant display on the pitch, a massive administrative blunder has put them at risk of a forfeit against Singapore’s Tampines Rovers.

According to reports from ASEAN Football, CAHN FC allegedly fielded two players who should have been serving suspensions during their AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 Round of 16 first-leg clash.

The controversy centers around two key foreign imports: Stefan Mauk and China.

Data from the group stages confirms that both players had accumulated three yellow cards, which, under AFC regulations, triggers an automatic one-match suspension for the following fixture. Ignoring the red tape, head coach Mano Polking named both in the starting line-up against the "Stags."

To add salt to the potential wound, CAHN stormed to a 4-0 victory, with the "ineligible" China even getting on the scoresheet alongside superstars Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Dinh Bac.

If the AFC finds CAHN guilty of a regulatory breach, the 4-0 victory will be nullified, Tampines Rovers will be awarded a 3-0 win by default, and will be effected to CAHN’s massive aggregate cushion will vanish, leaving them trailing heading into the second leg.

Credit Photo : AFC