SINGAPORE: The stage is set for a historic Asian Football Federation’s Asian Champions League (ACL) Two final appearance for Lion City Sailors, but tensions are already building up off the field even before they face opponents Sharjah Football Club from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, May 18, in Singapore.
Channel News Asia reported that Sharjah had expressed reservations about the stadium for the final, requesting a change in venue as they do not want to play at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The UAE club are seeking an “allocation of a suitable stadium worthy of the AFC ACL Two final.”
In a statement to the media over the weekend, Sailors mentioned that they are working closely with AFC, Sport Singapore, and the Football Association of Singapore on the venue arrangements for the AFC Champions League Two final.
“We want to state our position clearly: this final must be played in Singapore. This is our home, and as the club that has earned the right to host the final, we believe it is only fair and proper that it takes place on Singaporean soil,” said the Sailors in their media release on April 19.
The club explained that Jalan Besar Stadium has been a certified AFC Champions League Two venue that meets the AFC’s regulations and requirements throughout the competition, successfully hosting six home matches in this tournament alone.
“We are excited about the significance of this final—not just for our club, but for Singapore football. Hosting the final in Singapore would not only be a just conclusion to our Champions League Two campaign, but a proud moment for Singapore football on the continental stage.
“We believe that hosting such a high-stakes match on home soil can serve as a much-needed catalyst to uplift the local football scene and reignite national pride in the sport,” added the Singapore Premier League club.
While the Bishan Stadium has traditionally served as the main home ground for the Sailors, the Singapore Premier League club has utilised the Jalan Besar Stadium for their home matches in regional and the second-tier continental club competition.
All three of their ACL 2 group stage home matches were played at the Jalan Besar Stadium, where they secured wins against China’s Zhejiang FC and Port FC from Thailand, and suffered a defeat against Indonesia’s Persib Bandung.
In the knockout round, the Sailors comfortably cruised to a 7-2 aggregate win against Thailand’s Muangthong FC, winning 3-2 and 4-0 in the first and second leg, respectively.
Head coach Aleksandar Rankovic’s side were handed a lifeline in the quarter-final after their 6-1 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan) on March 5 was overturned as their opponents had fielded an ineligible player.
A 3-0 win was awarded to the Sailors, and they held their Japanese counterparts to a 1-1 draw in the return leg seven days later to seal a place in the semi-finals.
EARNING A SPOT IN THE ACL TWO FINAL
The Sailors delivered a commanding performance against Australia’s Sydney FC in the ACL Two East Region semi-final first leg tie at the Jalan Besar Stadium on April 9 to secure a 2-0 win, with a goal each from Bart Ramselaar and Lennart Thy.
Although the Sailors lost 1-0 in the second leg, their defence remained resolute and managed to fend off Sydney attacks, as the Singapore side secured a 2-1 aggregate victory to book their spot in the ACL Two final.
“We knew we were going to be under a lot of pressure. Sydney had to throw everything at us. But I think we did a really good job. They had their chances, but honestly, we had a few good ones of our own that could’ve killed the tie,” said head coach Rankovic after their match in Sydney, as quoted on the Sailors’ official website.
“What we’ve done is an unbelievable achievement for a Singaporean club. I’m still waiting for someone to wake me up — but honestly, I don’t want to be awake. I want to keep dreaming… and let’s hope we can go all the way.”
Sailors’ defender and former Sunderland captain Bailey Wright had expected the opponents to put up a fierce challenge to overturn the tie in the second leg.
“We knew we were going to be up against some real quality. We’ve had our moments of luck, but I believe you earn that through hard work, commitment, and preparation. As a defender, you relish games like these, where you have to fight for every ball and truly earn the result, no matter how difficult it is,” said Wright, who had previously played more than 100 games for Sunderland in England.
Sharjah FC, Sailors’ opponent in the ACL Two Final, staged a comeback against Al Taawoun (Saudi Arabia) in the West Region semi-finals, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit with a convincing 2-0 victory in the second leg to secure their spot in the May 18 final.