Fearless Lion City Sailors to tackle AFC Women’s Champions League challenge

SINGAPORE – Up against some of the region’s top football clubs, Singaporean side Lion City Sailors may appear to be minnows in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League, but they are taking a fearless approach in their maiden expedition in the group stage.

At the draw held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 11, the national league champions were put into Group A alongside last season’s finalists Melbourne City, Vietnamese hosts and last season’s semi-finalists Ho Chi Minh City and Filipino side Stallion Laguna.

Sailors coach Daniel Ong said: “We have already shown that we have the potential to go toe-to-toe with some of the region’s best clubs, so we should not be afraid to challenge ourselves in these matches.

“It’s a rare opportunity to play with teams from higher-ranked nations, so I want the girls to go out and enjoy the occasion.

“Ultimately, it’s about representing Singapore well on the continental stage, and we will make sure to prepare adequately for these matches ahead.”

The group stage will be held from Nov 9 to 23, with the Sailors playing their games in Vietnam from Nov 13 to 19. The top two clubs from each of the three groups and the two best third-placed teams will progress to the quarter-finals.

If the Sailors advance, the knockout rounds could see a showdown between Singaporean teammates, with national forward Danelle Tan’s Japanese club Tokyo Verdy Beleza drawn into Group C with South Korea’s Suwon, North Korea’s Naegohyang and Myanmarese hosts ISPE.

Tan, 20, who helped the Sailors win the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2022, said: “Our group is very strong, and we know there won’t be any easy games. Every opponent will bring their own challenges, but I have full confidence in my team. We will prepare well and go into the tournament with the ambition to be champions.

“Of course, I was hoping to be drawn with the Sailors – it would have been really special to play against my old club and former teammates, many of whom I’m still close with. Maybe we will meet later on in the knockout rounds, and that could be exciting too.”

The remaining four teams in the tournament are China’s defending champions Wuhan Jiangda, who will host the Group B matches featuring Iran’s Bam Khatoon, India’s East Bengal and Uzbekistan’s Nasaf.

On Aug 28, the Sailors became the first Singaporean side

to qualify for the AFC Women’s Champions League group stage

after they came through the preliminary stage in Melaka with a perfect three wins over Jordan’s Etihad, Malaysia’s Kelana United and Kyrgyzstan’s Sdyushor SI-Asiagoal.

The first iteration of the tournament was staged as the AFC Women’s Club Championship from 2019 to 2023, before it was rebranded as the Women’s Champions League for 2024-25. In the most recent season, the Sailors were eliminated in the preliminary round following heavy defeats by India’s Odisha FC (4-1) and Etihad (5-0).

This season, the three-time WPL champions strengthened their squad with five Japanese signings – Ami Takeuchi, Miyu Inayama, Eri Kitagawa, Sakurako Ohashi and Riari Kitaoka.

And it has paid off with Takeuchi and Inayama scoring six of the eight goals in their preliminary wins, while 15-year-old Nur Ain Salleh and 19-year-old Sarah Zu’risqha chipped in with the other two to take them to the group stage.

Sailors skipper Umairah Hamdan said: “Our performances in the preliminary stage showed that we belong here. It will be tough taking on the top teams from the region, but we will endeavour to put up our best showcase not just for the club, but also for Singapore and South-east Asian football.”