Singapore Coach: 'The 1-6 loss to CAHN before was just an accident'

Coach Noh Rahman emphasized Tampines Rovers' determination to secure a favorable outcome against CAHN and stated that the earlier 1-6 loss does not represent the team's actual capabilities.

Tampines Rovers entered the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 Round of 16 with high determination, especially as they face a rematch Hanoi Police Club just days after their heavy defeat in the Southeast Asian Champions Cup. The match at Hang Day Stadium on the evening of February 11 is viewed as an opportunity for the Singaporean side to prove their true ability and erase the poor impression from their last encounter.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Tampines Rovers head coach Noh Rahman said the visiting team aims to achieve a positive result to gain an advantage before returning home. “Before the match, we discussed aiming for a favorable result with the goal of reaching the quarterfinals,”the coach stressed, also confirming that the entire squad has prepared seriously for the upcoming challenge.

Notably, Coach Noh Rahman believes the 1-6 loss to CAHN in the group stage of the 2025/26 Southeast Asian Champions Cup on February 4 does not truly reflect Tampines Rovers’ strength. “We were quite disappointed with the heavy defeat in the previous match. I believe that result does not represent the team’s true potential,”he openly shared with the media.

In fact, that loss occurred when both teams had already been eliminated from the Southeast Asian tournament, which somewhat reduced the competitive intensity. CAHN also did not field many key players like Quang Hải, Nguyễn Filip, or Nguyễn Đình Bắc, leading Tampines Rovers to feel the result did not accurately reflect the strength balance between the two sides.

In this rematch, the Singaporean side hopes for a completely different scenario since the AFC Champions League Two is a much more significant competition. Tampines Rovers plan to play tightly, stay focused, and capitalize on opportunities to avoid a repeat of the heavy loss, while also hoping to create a surprise on the road.

Regarding CAHN, coach Mano Polking’s team is expected to field a stronger lineup to gain an advantage in the first leg. In this context, Tampines Rovers enter the match with a “nothing to lose” mindset, determined to turn their second consecutive away game at Hang Day into a chance to prove that the 1-6 defeat was just an unfortunate “accident.”