VietNamNet Bridge – In the last match of group H, Navibank Saigon was trounced 2-6 by Indonesian FC – Arema. This was the last Vietnamese FC that was rejected from the Asian Football Cup (AFC Cup).



With seven points earned before the last game, Navibank Saigon had many favorable conditions to compete for a card to the next round of the AFC Cup. The team only needed a draw to enter the direct qualifier round.

However, the team disappointed Vietnamese fans when it was easily defeated by the Indonesia rival. At the end of the first round, Navibank Saigon was trounced 5-0. After the break, the host team Arema scored one more goal.

Navibank Saigon’s coach Pham Cong Loc said that his players did not maintain good physical strength since they had to play at both the AFC Cup and the V-League. The team “hid” its key players at home for the V-League.

After the team’s failure at AFC Cup, there is no Vietnamese representative at this tournament.

Earlier, V-League 2011 champion Song Lam Nghe An was ousted from AFC Cup. The reason is that the team wanted to focus its effort on the V-League.

S. Tung