BG Tampines Rovers penalised with 3-0 forfeit loss after fielding too few local players in Singapore Cup final

SINGAPORE: Singapore Premier League side BG Tampines Rovers have been penalised with a 3-0 forfeit loss after fielding too few local players in the Singapore Cup final against Lion City Sailors on Saturday (Jan 10).

The cup final, held at the Jalan Besar Stadium, had originally ended in a 2-0 win for the Sailors, with goals by Anderson Lopes and Hami Syahin scored in extra time.

According to the Singapore Cup regulations, “all clubs shall ensure that a minimum of four Singaporean players are on the pitch at all times, except in the case of a Singapore player who is sent off by the referee for either an indirect or direct red card”.

Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said on Thursday that the Stags had breached this rule.

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The regulations also state that the penalty for fielding an ineligible player is for the win to be “awarded to the opposing non-infringing team”, with the game ending in a 3-0 score or the final score, whichever is greater.

"This decision – on an infringement of competition rules – was taken after the match had been allowed to run its natural course on the sporting front before the incident was reviewed and addressed in accordance with competition regulations," said FAS.

"The Football Association of Singapore reiterates its commitment to upholding the integrity of its competitions and ensuring strict adherence to all competition regulations."

Tampines had started the match with five locals, but fell afoul of the rules when they substituted Joel Chew for former Japanese international Yuki Kobayashi in the 81st minute.

This left them with just three Singaporeans on the pitch - Faris, defender Irfan Najeeb and goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari.

About two minutes later, the Stags took off Japanese midfielder Koya Kazama for Singaporean Ong Yu En.

The game continued after these substitutions and despite a lengthy stoppage before extra time, the additional 30 minutes were still played out.

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