Tampines Rovers could face AFC Champions League Two reprieve over Công An Hà Nội fielding suspended players

SINGAPORE -- In uncanny developments mirroring a similarly unexpected turn of events almost 12 months ago, BG Tampines Rovers could benefit from an opposition administrative error -- just a season after Singaporean compatriots Lion City Sailors encountered the same reprieve -- in the AFC Champions League Two.

On Wednesday, Tampines' continental prospects looked dead and buried after they suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to Vietnam's Công An Hà Nội in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie in Asian football's second-tier club competition.

However, it now appears that CAHN fielded two players in their starting XI who should have been serving a one-match suspension for that match: Australian midfielder Stefan Mauk and Brazilian striker China.

Based on the Asian Football Confederation's official match data, both players had picked up a third booking of the campaign in their final group game -- a 1-0 loss to Hong Kong's Tai Po, which did not affect CAHN's progress to the round of 16.

The ACL Two's competition regulations, under Article 59.1.1, state that any player to have received a caution in three separate matches would automatically be suspended from their next match in the competition -- in the case of Mauk and China, last Wednesday's first leg in the round of 16.

Yet, both started the game -- with the latter scoring CAHN's third goal in the 37th minute.

Had both players received only a maximum of two yellow cards, their slate would have been wiped clean for the next stage -- as per Article 59.1.3 of the tournament regulations.

Intriguingly, the Sailors -- Tampines' fellow Singapore Premier League outfit -- were also assisted by a similar opposition gaffe last season.

On that occasions, J1 League giants Sanfrecce Hiroshima had comfortably beaten the Sailors 6-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals -- only for it to be later revealed that the former were ineligible to have fielded then-new signing Valère Germain, who should have been serving a suspension from his time with previous club Macarthur FC.

The result was overturned to a default 3-0 win to the Sailors, which ultimately paved the way for their progress to the semifinals and final, where they still made history as the first Singaporean club to reach a continental decider despite ultimately losing 2-1 to Sharjah of United Arab Emirates.

According to ESPN sources, the AFC is conscious of the potential transgressions and will announce a verdict early next week, ahead of the return encounter between the two teams at Singapore's Jalan Besar Stadium.

Likewise, it is to ESPN's understanding that Tampines are yet to lodge an official appeal but have been notified that the AFC is aware -- and will await the continental football governing body's statement on the matter.

ESPN has reached out to all involved parties, namely Tampines, CAHN and the AFC, for an official statement on the matter.

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