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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lion City Sailors and BG Tampines Rovers handed mixed draws in ACL 2 group stage
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Lion City Sailors' Bart Ramselaar attempting a shot in their 2-1 loss to Emirati club Sharjah FC in last season's AFC Champions League 2 final at Bishan Stadium. SINGAPORE – The Lion City Sailors' bid for another improbable run to the AFC Champions League 2 final was given a boost on Aug 15 after they were handed a favourable draw for the group stages of the 2025-26 season. In the draw conducted at the InterContinental in Kuala Lumpur, the Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions avoided teams from China, Japan, Australia and South Korea. Instead, they found themselves in Group G with fellow South-east Asian sides – Thai League 1 runners-up Bangkok United, Malaysia Super League runners-up Selangor FC and Indonesia Liga 1 champions Persib Bandung. The ACL 2 features 32 teams from the West and East regions, who have been split into eight groups of four teams. Matches will be played in a home-and-away round-robin format, from Sept 17 to Dec 11 for the east zone, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the round of 16 in February 2026. The final will be staged on May 16, 2026. While Sailors coach Aleksandar Rankovic did not comment on the outcome of the draw, the Serb said in a media statement that last season's run to the final 'wrote us into the history books', but it is not realistic to expect that every season. 'It was an extraordinary achievement to reach the final, and I have to acknowledge that we got there with a bit of luck as well as the hard work from everyone in the team,' he added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Singapore ICA to review Ong Beng Seng's PR status after he was fined for abetting obstruction of justice Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Love that saves lives: Seniors in Singapore overcome challenges to donate organs Singapore Over 600 orchids on display at Gardens by the Bay to mark 60 years of Singapore-Malaysia ties Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized 'For sure, our results in the ACL 2 last season mean a few teams will take us more seriously, but we're still considered underdogs at the Asian level. There are still many steps for us to take to reach the level of the top teams in the region. For us, the focus is on our own journey and taking a few steps forward each season at the continental level. 'The primary target remains getting past the group stage, and we'll talk about other objectives once we get there.' Last season, SPL's only privatised side became the first Singaporean outfit to reach the final of a major Asian club competition, where they lost 2-1 to the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah FC in front of a capacity crowd of 9,737 at Bishan Stadium in May. The Sailors' unprecedented voyage to the final started with them topping their group ahead of Thai League 1 club Port FC, Chinese Super League club Zhejiang Professional and Persib in the ACL 2's inaugural season There was a convincing 7-2 aggregate win over another Thai top-tier club, Muangthong United, in the round of 16 before lady luck shone on them, as they were awarded a 3-0 win in the quarter-final, first leg with Sanfreece Hiroshima despite losing 6-1 after the Japanese side fielded an ineligible player. They then held the Japanese side to a 1-1 draw at home. In the semi-finals, the Sailors came through with a 2-1 aggregate win over Australia's Sydney FC to book a historic berth in the final. Meanwhile, SPL runners-up BG Tampines Rovers will be looking to improve on their ACL 2 performance, although the draw this time was not kind to them. The Stags are in Group H with South Korea's Pohang Steelers, Thai powerhouses BG Pathum United and the Philippines' Kaya FC-Iloilo. Tampines coach Akbar Nawas described it as an 'exciting draw', adding: 'There are three very strong teams. BG Pathum have quality, Pohang are of top K-League standard, and Kaya are champions of the Philippines. 'We respect them, but we'll go there to compete, take points, and show that we can match up. It is a big challenge, but one we look forward to. Our objectives will remain evident throughout that is to be competitive in every game, fight for points, and give ourselves a chance to progress. ' In their 2024-25 campaign, Tampines did not advance to the knockout rounds after they finished third in their group with eight points from six matches. Thailand's Bangkok United and Vietnam's Nam Dinh FC progressed instead. In the East region's other groups, Gamba Osaka, one of the tournament favourites, were placed in Group F alongside Nam Dinh (Vietnam), Ratchaburi (Thailand) and Eastern (Hong Kong), while Beijing Guo'an (China), Macarthur FC (Australia), Tai Po (Hong Kong) and Cong An Ha Noi (Vietnam) are in Group E.
Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Bart Ramselaar's lone effort helps Lion City Sailors retain Singapore Cup
Unbeaten throughout the tournament, the defending champions proved to be the better side in front of a crowd of 2,766. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR SINGAPORE – Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors completed their first domestic double with a 1-0 victory over BG Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Cup final on May 31 at Jalan Besar Stadium. Unbeaten throughout the tournament, the defending champions proved to be the better side in front of a crowd of 2,766. The Sailors sealed the win in the tight contest with a lone second-half goal from Bart Ramselaar. A late red card for a headbutt by midfielder Shah Shahiran on Ramselaar all but ended any hopes of a Tampines comeback. Full report to follow. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lion City Sailors denied at final hurdle as Sharjah FC clinch AFC Champions League Two title at Bishan
Lion City Sailors' Bart Ramselaar has his shot closed down by Sharjah FC's Shahin Abdulrahman and Khaled Ibrahim in the ACL2 final. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR Lion City Sailors denied at final hurdle as Sharjah FC clinch AFC Champions League Two title at Bishan SINGAPORE – The Lion City Sailors' bid to become the first club from Singapore to win a continental title came to an agonising end on May 18. Despite fervent support from a capacity crowd of 9,737 at the Bishan Stadium, the Sailors were edged out 2-1 by Emirati heavyweights Sharjah FC in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two final. The tight encounter saw the Sailors enjoy most of the chances, but it was Sharjah who made the breakthrough in the 74th minute. Brazil-born attacker Caio Lucas was afforded enough space and time to pick out the overlapping Khaled Ibrahim at the far post who then pulled it back for Tunisian international Firas Ben Larbi to finish past Izwan Mahbud. Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne looked to have sent the game into extra time when he stepped up in the second of 11 minutes of added time with a strike from just outside the box. But Sharjah restored their advantage with Marcus Meloni dribbling past Sailors' defenders and finding the far corner of Izwan's net in the seventh minute of added time, as their 500 travelling fans erupted in sheer delirium. The Sailors, who became Singapore's first privatised football team in 2020, had already made history by being the first team from the Republic to ever feature in a continental final. Their journey to the final started with them topping Group F ahead of 2023 Chinese Super League second runners-up Zhejiang Professional, Thai League 1's third-placed Port FC and Indonesia Liga 1 champions Persib Bandung. In the knockout rounds, there was a convincing aggregate win over Muangthong United from Thailand in the round of 16 before lady luck shone on them, as they were able to turn a 6-1 quarter-final, first-leg loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima into a 3-0 win after the Japanese side fielded an ineligible player. They then held the Japanese side to a brave 1-1 draw at home. In the semi-finals, the Sailors came through with a 2-1 aggregate win over Australia's Sydney FC. Having clinched the 2024-25 Singapore Premier League title on May 10, they are still on course for a double, though. They will face DPMM in a two-legged Singapore Cup semi-final on May 21 and May 27. Full match report to follow. Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
