Lion City Sailors get provisional approval to host Asian Champions League 2 final at Bishan Stadium
The Lion City Sailors celebrating a routine victory over Balestier Khalsa in a Singapore Premier League match on Feb 23. PHOTO: LION CITY SAILORS
SINGAPORE – The Lion City Sailors have been granted provisional approval to host the Asian Champions League Two final against Sharjah FC of the United Arab Emirates at the Bishan Stadium. This is subject to a final inspection and formal approval by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in early May ahead of the showpiece on May 18 (8pm).
In a media statement on April 23, the Sailors announced the decision, adding: 'Over the next few weeks, the club will be working closely with Sport Singapore, the Football Association of Singapore and sports industry experts to make the necessary upgrades and preparations to ensure the venue is match-ready for the big night on May 18.'
Ticket details will be announced soon.
This comes after several days of uncertainty over the venue for the ACL2 final, which is contested by the top teams from East and West Asia, with the venue alternating between both regions yearly.
For the 2024-25 edition, the host team will come from East Asia, which means the Sailors, who beat A-League side Sydney FC 2-1 on aggregate over the two-legged semi-finals, have the hosting rights.
The Sailors had been scheduled to host Sharjah at the Jalan Besar Stadium, where the Singapore side had played their six ACL2 home matches this season, winning four times, drawing once and losing once.
However, the Emirati club had requested that the final not be played at Jalan Besar, citing its artificial pitch and 6,000-seater capacity.
AFC officials, who met SportSG and FAS representatives to discuss venue options for the showpiece last week, also carried out an inspection of the Bishan Stadium, which has a natural grass pitch and can hold approximately 6,000 spectators as well.
It is also the homeground of both the Sailors and Balestier Khalsa in the Singapore Premier League.
The Sailors have won 14 of the 17 domestic games, including Singapore Cup fixtures, played at the Bishan Stadium so far this season, drawing twice and losing only once.
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