Southeast Asian fans are outraged, questioning 'where is justice' after Hanoi Police FC lost the match.

The AFC's ruling that Hanoi Police lost 0-3 to BG Tampines Rovers has sparked a wave of debate on regional football forums. Many fans in Southeast Asia feel the AFC's handling of the situation is unfair.

Fans in Southeast Asia feel wronged by the decision to declare Hanoi Police FC the loser - Photo: MINH DO

On the afternoon of February 17th, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officially ruled that Hanoi Police FC lost 0-3 to BG Tampines Rovers in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two round of 16.

The reason is that Hanoi Police (CAHN) used players who were not eligible to play in their 4-0 victory against BG Tampines Rovers at Hang Day Stadium on February 11th.

Not only were they disqualified, but Hanoi Police Club was also fined $2,000 and forfeited half of their prize money, equivalent to $40,000. The Vietnamese representative must pay within 30 days of the decision being announced.

The AFC's decision has sparked a wave of debate on many regional football forums. Posts about the AFC's decision to award a loss to CAHN on social media have garnered thousands of interactions and numerous comments expressing different viewpoints.

Most Southeast Asian fans are puzzled by the AFC's handling and speed of response to "sensitive" incidents. The phrase "what about the case of the 7 Malaysian players?" is constantly mentioned by football fans in the region in the comments section of posts.

Specifically, under the post about the AFC's decision, an Indonesian fan named Alfarel expressed his opinion: "I find the way the AFC handles things hilarious. Clearly, Malaysia's naturalization scandal has become a precedent for regional football to exploit in an attempt to overturn the situation after a match."

"Yet, while the case of the 7 Malaysian naturalized players is still unresolved, I've already seen a Vietnamese football club being penalized for using the wrong player. The AFC is truly unfair."

On the ASEAN Football page, a Filipino fan, Jacob Mark Amoguis Ergina, didn't hesitate to leave a comment: "What about the scandal involving the 7 naturalized Malaysian players? I support Vietnam, justice for Vietnamese football."

Another fan, named Wirote Lertatsavavivat, also found the AFC's handling of the situation confusing and said: "It's unfair to compare the CAHN case with the case of the 7 ineligible players from Malaysia."

HERO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cdv-dong-nam-a-khong-phuc-dat-cau-hoi-cong-ly-o-dau-khi-cong-an-ha-noi-bi-xu-thua-20260217180830684.htm