Cebu FC's ASEAN Club Championship debut didn't go according to plan after a 1-3 loss to the BG Tampines Rovers on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Hide Higashikawa opened the floodgates as early in the second minute after the ball deflected off goalkeeper Rami Jeridi scored with his left foot for the Stags.
Dylan Fox made it 2-0 in the 19th minute after hitting a header off a corner kick from Joel Chew.
Cebu scored one back in the 22nd minute with a header of his own from a corner from Ersom Paulos.
Trent Buhagiar put on the finishing touches for the Tampines Rovers with a tap-in goal in the dying seconds of the match.
Cebu will face last season's finalist Cong An Ha Noi FC next on 24 September at 8 p.m. at the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi.