Lions to play Asean Championship group matches at Jalan Besar instead of National Stadium
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Fans showing their support for the Lions during the Asean Championship semi-final, first leg against Vietnam at Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec 26, 2024. The Lions lost 2-0.
PHOTO: ST FILE
- Singapore will play their Asean Championship group matches at the 6,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium as the 55,000-seater National Stadium is unavailable.
- The National Stadium has already been slated to host the National Day Parade and rehearsals which coincide with the tournament's group stage.
- Skipper Hariss Harun notes Jalan Besar is the team's "spiritual home" and its compact nature helps generate an intimidating atmosphere.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – When the Lions do battle in the Asean Championship’s group stage from July 24 to Aug 7
The National Stadium is unavailable during that period as it has already been confirmed as the venue for the Aug 9 National Day Parade (NDP), with rehearsals taking place in the weeks before that.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, a Football Association of Singapore spokesperson said: “All home games in the tournament are currently planned to be held at Jalan Besar Stadium, which meets Asian Football Confederation requirements to host international competitions.
“We will keep fans and the public updated on the Asean Hyundai Cup and look forward to rallying everyone to support our Lions.”
The Straits Times understands there are ongoing conversations to free up the National Stadium after the NDP should Gavin Lee’s men reach the knockout stage. The semi-finals and final, which are both two-legged affairs, take place from Aug 15 to 19 and Aug 22 to 26 respectively.
On the website of The Kallang, formerly known as the Singapore Sports Hub, there are no events slated for the National Stadium during that period.
Following the Jan 15 tournament draw in Indonesia, the Lions found themselves in Group A where they will kick off their campaign against Cambodia away on July 24.
This is followed by a July 27 home tie against Timor-Leste or Brunei, who will contest a two-legged qualifying play-off, before the Lions travel to face champions Vietnam on July 31 and wrap up the group stage by hosting Indonesia on Aug 7.
The Asean Championship used to be held at the end of the year, but has been moved to the current dates to align with the international football calendar and avoid clashes with domestic leagues – which have largely followed Europe’s August-May schedule – as well as the monsoon season.
This is not the first time that the national football team have been displaced from the National Stadium, which was billed as home of the Lions.
In 2024, Singapore played their home group games at the National Stadium, with 12,391 fans attending the 2-1 win over Cambodia and 22,611 witnessing the 4-2 defeat by Thailand.
But with the tournament dates moving from Nov 23-Dec 21 to Dec 8-Jan 5, they had to play the Dec 26 home leg of their semi-final against Vietnam at Jalan Besar as Dec 28-29 concerts by home-grown Mandopop singer JJ Lin had already been scheduled at the National Stadium before the new competition dates were announced.
Match tickets were sold out within seven hours as 5,233 supporters turned up to watch the Vietnamese win 2-0 on Jalan Besar’s artificial pitch, which has since been replaced by a natural grass surface.
For the previous edition, the Singapore authorities were expecting it to start in January 2023, only for the organisers to announce a December 2022 kick-off.
This meant the National Stadium could not be turned around for the Lions’ group games, as it was already booked for two Jay Chou concerts that month.
The Lions, who played their group matches against Myanmar (3-2 win, 5,370 fans) and Vietnam (0-0 draw, 5,434 fans) at the Jalan Besar Stadium, did not progress to the semi-finals that year.
In 2021, the National Stadium was the sole venue for the 2020 edition in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
National skipper Hariss Harun said: “Playing in the National Stadium would have been great but we have many good memories at Jalan Besar as well.
“We call it our spiritual home and we always get good backing there. The stands are much nearer to the pitch, so even though it has a smaller capacity, the fans can generate a really good atmosphere that rubs off on the team.
“I have not played on the new natural pitch as I was recovering from injury, but I warmed up for the Singapore Cup final there and it looked really good.
“There were some concerns in December that it was a bit dry, but I think it’s part of the process where you have to let the pitch settle in and it was in top condition for the final. There won’t be many teams complaining if we can maintain it at this standard.”
As for their group, the 35-year-old noted that “all the countries in Asean have upped their game in terms of youth development or taking on foreign-born players”.
He added: “There are no easy groups or easy games and we will have to prepare as best as we can and improve our own standards.
“It will be a good test and preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup.”
