Tough challenges await Lion City Sailors and Tampines Rovers in ACL2
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BG Tampines Rovers’ Shah Shahiran (centre) closing in on Cong An Ha Noi’s Nguyen Quang Hai as the Rovers’ Seiga Sumi looked on during the first leg of their ACL2 round-of-16 tie on Feb 11 during the 2025-26 campaign.
PHOTO: BG TAMPINES ROVERS
- The Lion City Sailors and Tampines Rovers were drawn into tough groups for the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two, facing strong teams from Australia, Thailand, Japan, China, and Cambodia.
- Tampines Rovers aim to build on their impressive 2025-26 run, with new coach Nazri Nasir emphasising preparation, hard work, and squad depth to compete effectively.
- Lion City Sailors are determined to improve after their 2025-26 group stage exit, having strengthened their squad and motivated to deliver pride for Singapore in the upcoming season.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – One had an impressive run in the previous campaign, while the other made a surprise early exit. As the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two kicks off in September, Tampines Rovers and the Lion City Sailors will need to draw on their experiences from the 2026-27 season.
The Singapore Premier League (SPL) sides can expect tough opposition in the tournament after the draw for the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two group stage was conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 18.
In Group F, SPL defending champions Sailors will face A-League side Adelaide United, Thai League 1 club BG Pathum United and reigning Hong Kong FA Cup winners Tai Po FC.
Tampines, who finished two points behind the Sailors in the SPL, were drawn into Group G against Japan’s FC Machida Zelvia – the runners-up in the top-tier ACL Elite – Chinese Super League runners-up Shanghai Shenhua and Cambodian Premier League champions Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC.
The group stage is scheduled to kick off on Sept 15 and conclude on Dec 9, with matches to be played in a home-and-away format.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16, which will be played between Feb 9 and 18, 2027.
The quarter-finals and semi-finals are set for March 2 to 18 and April 6 to 14, respectively, with the final scheduled on May 15, 2027.
Tampines are hoping to build on their result last season, when they enjoyed a fortuitous run in AFC’s second-tier club tournament.
They topped the group stage unbeaten, ahead of South Korea’s Pohang Steelers, BG Pathum and Filipino side Kaya-Iloilo.
In the last 16, they lost 4-0 to Cong An Ha Noi in the first leg, but they were awarded a 3-0 victory after the Vietnamese team fielded two ineligible players. They won the second leg 3-1 at home.
They eventually bowed out in the quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate to Bangkok United.
Tampines’ new coach, Nazri Nasir, who was appointed on July 2, said after the draw: “The club’s run last season has provided us with the belief that we can compete with the best in Asia.
“However, this alone won’t guarantee that it will be replicated. We would need to prepare well, work hard and take one game at a time.”
Noting that it was “not an easy draw”, he added: “Every team that is participating in this tournament wants to win. Machida Zelvia, Shanghai Shenhua and PKR Svay Rieng are all very tough opponents. In addition, we are competing in other competitions like the SPL and Shopee Cup (ASEAN Club Championship), (so) we will have to try to rotate our players. We will definitely go into every game wanting to win. Lastly, the depth of the team is very important. The strength comes from the team, so the squad depth is important for us to maintain high performance for these games.”
The Sailors will be determined to avoid a repeat of their shock exit last season.
Singapore’s only privatised club, who had an unprecedented run to the final in the 2024-25 campaign, were bundled out in the group stage after they finished third, behind Indonesia’s Persib Bandung and Thailand’s Bangkok United.
Sailors executive director Bruce Liang said: “The ACL2 is a very tough competition, with many strong teams fighting to win it. As a club, our core memory of this competition is no longer about having reached the final in 2024-25, but how we failed to make it out of the group stage in 2025-26.
“In preparation for 2026-27 and beyond, we’ve strengthened significantly and we’re determined to go much further this new season. We’re a club from Singapore and we’re determined to deliver performances that bring joy and pride to the nation.”
Liang was speaking on behalf of the team in place of head coach Jesus Casas, who has recently been linked with the vacant South Korean national team head coach role.
The former Iraq national coach, who was not available for comment, joined the Sailors in February after inking a two-year deal.
The third edition of the revamped competition will see the 32 teams – 16 each from the East and West zones – bidding to follow in the footsteps of 2024-25 winners Sharjah and reigning champions Gamba Osaka of Japan.
In the other groups from the East Zone, Group E will feature South Korea’s FC Seoul, Australian side Melbourne Victory, Vietnam’s Cong-Viettel FC and the winner of a play-off between Indonesia’s Persib Bandung and the Philippines’ Manila Digger.
Gangwon FC from South Korea; Malaysia’s Kuching City, who are led by Singaporean tactician Aidil Sharin; Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC; and Phnom Penh Crown from Cambodia are in Group H.