Stags Bow Out of Shopee Cup After Tough Night in Hanoi

There was a certain poetry to the setting in Hanoi - a cool night, floodlights blazing, and two clubs standing at very different crossroads of their regional journeys. For Tampines Rovers, this final group-stage fixture of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup was about pride, resilience, and belief, even as qualification scenarios had already grown faint. For Cong An Ha Noi FC, last season’s finalists and one of Vietnam’s most formidable outfits, it was an opportunity to reassert themselves after a largely underwhelming campaign.

The Stags arrived knowing the task at hand was monumental. Anything less than victory - coupled with favourable results elsewhere - would spell the end of their Shopee Cup journey, following last week’s crushing 4-1 home defeat to reigning champions Buriram United. Fate, it seemed, had dealt Tampines the cruellest of hands: back-to-back encounters against the two finalists from last season’s competition.

Yet football has always thrived on defiance, and under the Hanoi lights, Tampines showed plenty of it - if only in flashes.

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Tampines made several changes from the weekend’s Singapore Premier League win over Tanjong Pagar United, welcoming back key figures for this regional test. Seiga Sumi, Glenn Kweh, Trent Buhagiar, Dylan Fox, and Koya Kazama all returned to the starting XI, adding experience and attacking intent.

Cong An Ha Noi, meanwhile, rotated their side - resting several key players - most notably Alan, the current V.League 1 top scorer. The hosts were unbeaten and top of Vietnam’s domestic league this season, underlining the depth and quality at their disposal.

This fixture also marked the first of three consecutive meetings between the two sides in different competitions, with the next two clashes coming in the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16, starting with the first leg at the same venue on February 11.

A Dream Start, Then a Storm

The opening exchanges suggested a cautious contest, but Tampines were quick to show their intent with an early warning through Trent Buhagiar who hurried a shot wide.

The Malta international, however, made amends when he opened the scoring moments later, tapping home after a sweeping counter-attack involving Dylan Fox, Hide Higashikawa and Glenn Kweh.

The hosts responded quickly. Syazwan Buhari was forced into a string of fine saves, but Cong An Ha Noi eventually equalised through Hugo Gomes’ header from a corner. Le Van Do then put the home side ahead before Phan Van Duc added a third just past the half-hour mark.

Resistance, Then Ruthlessness

Despite trailing 3-1 at the break, the Stags continued to show composure and intent in possession. Syazwan remained outstanding, denying Vitao and Phan Van Duc on multiple occasions, while the visitors came close to reducing the deficit when both Hide and Koya forced two strong saves from goalkeeper Vu Thanh Vinh.

Despite visitors' attacking intent, the hosts struck decisively in the closing stages. Vitao added a fourth before substitute Alan scored twice late on to seal the result.

Trent’s opener proved to be his sixth goal of the Shopee Cup, underlining his importance on the regional stage. However, the result confirmed Tampines’ exit from the competition, finishing fifth in the group, with any hopes of a semi-final place extinguished.

Another bright spark will be the debut of Zikos Chua when he was introduced to the fray in the closing stages.

Lessons, and What Lies Ahead

The scoreline was harsh on a Tampines side that showed courage, structure, and moments of genuine quality - particularly through Syazwan, whose performance single-handedly kept the contest respectable for long stretches against last season’s runners-up.

However, there is little time to dwell. The narrative now shifts swiftly and dramatically, as both sides prepare to lock horns again, twice more, in the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16.

Different competition. Different stakes. Same opponents.

And perhaps, a chance for redemption.