Hà Nội Police players in their training shift on February 18 for the AFC Champions League Two's Round of 16 second match on February 18 in Singapore. Photos courtesy of the Police

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội Police have suffered a major setback ahead of their do-or-die second-leg clash against Tampines Rovers FC in the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Two on February 18.

The Vietnamese National Cup holders were handed a 3-0 forfeit defeat by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after fielding suspended players in last week’s first-leg match in Hà Nội.

On February 11, the Police had recorded their biggest win of the tournament, defeating the Singaporean side 4-0. It was also the third-largest margin of victory by a Vietnamese club in the knockout stage of the competition.

However, Australian midfielder Stefan Mauk and Brazilian forward Jeferson Elias “China” were later ruled ineligible despite featuring in the match.

Both players should have served a one-match suspension after receiving their third yellow cards of the group stage in a previous ACL Two fixture against Hong Kong’s Tai Po.

Nevertheless, they started last week’s game, with China even scoring the Police’s third goal.

In addition to the forfeit, the Police were fined US$2,000 and ordered to forfeit 50 per cent of their participation fee, amounting to around $40,000.

Tampines were consequently awarded a 3-0 victory ahead of Wednesday night’s return leg at Jalan Besar Stadium.

Head coach Alexandre Polking accepted responsibility for the administrative error but called for improved communication from the AFC.

Speaking at a press conference on February 17, he said both players had appeared to be cleared to play during the match commissioner’s meeting the day before the fixture. The AFC, however, reiterated that clubs bear full responsibility for ensuring player eligibility.

“It’s a big lesson for us. A huge mistake. But, to be honest, I also wouldn’t like it very much if I were on the other side. For the beauty of the game, this should be avoided — and it could be avoided with clearer communication between the governing body and the clubs,” Polking said.

Alexandré Polking (centre) admits his responsibility for an administrative error that leads to Hà Nội Police's 0-3 forfeit defeat at the AFC Champions League 2.

“We’ll do our best. We know we can win big again, but this is a different challenge. When the score is still 0-0, going on to win by three or four goals is one thing. It’s very different when you need to win by three or four goals. That requires a strong mentality.

“But we will go step by step, goal by goal. We must be careful not to become overexcited because if we concede, we would then need five goals. We’ll give everything and see what happens.”

Police players have been urged to push beyond the setback that saw their 4-0 victory overturned into a 3-0 defeat, shifting them from being “very close to the quarter-finals” to needing at least a 4-0 win to progress.

Led on the pitch by captain Nguyễn Quang Hải, the team had two days of training to prepare for the decisive match.

Speaking to reporters, Hải, who scored twice in four minutes in the first leg, reaffirmed the squad’s determination.

“We will deliver our best performance, showing the bravery and fighting spirit of Vietnamese players,” said Hải, widely regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s finest footballers over the past decade.

He will be supported by the team’s strongest available line-up, including young forward Nguyễn Đình Bắc, the top scorer at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

The AFC has also confirmed that both Mauk and China are considered to have served their one-match suspensions and will be eligible to feature in the second leg. — VNS