Sharjah FC do not want Asian final against Lion City Sailors to be held at Jalan Besar Stadium

SINGAPORE – Discussions are ongoing over the venue for the Asian Champions League Two final between Sharjah FC and Lion City Sailors, after the former requested that the match be moved from the Jalan Besar Stadium.

On April 17, the United Arab Emirates club issued a statement on social media, saying they had requested “the allocation of a suitable stadium worthy of the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League Two final” on May 18.

The match is set to be played in Singapore, with the Jalan Besar Stadium, which staged the Sailors’ home matches earlier in the campaign, being earmarked.

But Sharjah highlighted concerns over the 6,000-seater arena.

Its statement, which was written in Arabic, read: “The request comes in light of concerns related to the Jalan Besar Stadium, which will host Lion City (Sailors’) matches.

“It is a relatively small stadium in terms of audience capacity and relies on an artificial turf pitch, which may not meet the requirements of an Asian final of this size.”

Sharjah added that the club are “hoping that consideration will be given to the importance of holding the final in a stadium that meets the technical, public and organisational specifications befitting the competition and its clubs”.

Following a meeting between AFC officials and representatives from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to assess the Jalan Besar Stadium’s suitability, The Straits Times understands that the Bishan Stadium, which can also hold approximately 6,000, is being seriously looked at as an alternative location due to its natural grass pitch. However, Jalan Besar remains a possible venue.

But the 55,000-seater National Stadium will be unavailable, as the first of

Lady Gaga’s four concerts

will take place there on the day of the final.

In response to queries, an FAS spokesperson said on April 18 that an update will be provided when a decision has been made.

The spokesperson added: “The Football Association of Singapore is working closely with the Asian Football Confederation and the Lion City Sailors, alongside our venue partners to put forward a stadium that meets the AFC’s requirements to host the AFC Champions League Two final.

“We are firm in our commitment to support the Sailors who continue to represent the country proudly on the Asian stage in this tournament.”

In accordance with competition regulations, the venue for the AFC Champions League Two final alternates annually between the East and West regions. For the 2024-25 edition, the host team will come from the East region.

In the 2023-24 season, when the continent’s second-tier club competition was still known as the AFC Cup, Australia’s Central Coast Mariners beat Lebanon’s Al-Ahed 1-0 in the final at the 28,000-capacity Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman.

The upcoming final marks the first appearance at this stage of the Asian tournament for both teams.

The Sailors made history on April 16, becoming the first football team from Singapore to reach the final of a continental competition after

defeating Australian side Sydney FC 2-1 on aggregate.

They had stunned the A-League outfit

with a 2-0 victory in the first leg

of their semi-final at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Although they lost the return leg 1-0, the aggregate score was enough to secure their place in the final.

Sharjah, meanwhile, booked their spot in the final by overturning a first-leg deficit against Saudi Arabia’s Al-Taawoun.

After losing 1-0 in the opening match, they bounced back with a 2-0 win on April 15 to advance with a 2-1 aggregate score.