Despite winning 4-0, Hanoi Police FC faces the risk of being handed a 0-3 loss by the AFC.
Hanoi Police FC's victory against Tampines Rovers in the AFC Cup is at risk of being annulled because they fielded two players who are currently serving suspensions: Stefan Mauk and China.
A major shock is engulfing Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) after their resounding 4-0 victory over Tampines Rovers in the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup. Despite a triumphant night at Hang Day Stadium, the Vietnamese team is now facing the prospect of having all their achievements revoked due to a serious error in their player registration process.
Rare mistakes resulting from yellow cards in the group stage.
According to ESPN, the incident stemmed from CAHN's decision to include midfielder Stefan Mauk and striker China in the starting lineup for the first leg match on February 11th. Data from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) indicated that both players should have been absent due to accumulating too many yellow cards.
Specifically, Stefan Mauk and China both received their third yellow card in the 0-1 loss to Tai Po in the group stage. According to Article 59.1.1 of the AFC Disciplinary Regulations, any player who receives three yellow cards in three different matches will automatically be suspended for the next match of the tournament. The fact that both players still took to the field and played constituted a direct violation of the tournament's technical regulations.
Consequences of an invalid goal scored by a player.
The most ironic aspect of this incident is that the Brazilian-Chinese striker not only started the match but also directly scored the goal that increased the score to 3-0 in the 37th minute. The fact that a player who was serving a suspension directly participated in and scored a goal makes the violation even more serious in the eyes of the league's administrators.
If the AFC applies the correct penalty framework for the use of ineligible players, CAHN's 4-0 victory will be completely annulled. Instead, the police team will be handed a 0-3 defeat, creating a huge disadvantage before the return match.
Historical precedent and final judgment
CAHN's situation is reminiscent of a similar incident last season. At that time, Singapore's Lion City Sailors were awarded a 3-0 victory against Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan) after the Japanese team used a player in violation of regulations. This legal turning point allowed the Singapore team to advance directly to the continental final that year.
Currently, the AFC has officially acknowledged the incident, even though Tampines Rovers has not yet filed a complaint. The highest governing body of Asian football is expected to deliver its final ruling early next week. This is a particularly sensitive time as CAHN is preparing to travel to Singapore for the return leg at Jalan Besar Stadium on February 18th. If they are handed a loss, their chances of advancing will become extremely slim, despite their superior performance on the field.
