SINGAPORE: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has granted the Lion City Sailors provisional approval to host the upcoming AFC Champions League Two final at Bishan Stadium.
“This is subject to final inspection and formal approval by AFC in early May,” Lion City Sailors said in a social media post on Wednesday (Apr 23).
The club said it will be working closely with Sport Singapore, the Football Association of Singapore and sports industry experts over the next few weeks to make the necessary upgrades and preparations to ensure the venue is match-ready for May 18.
Kick-off time is set for 8pm and ticketing details will be announced in due course, it added.
Last week, the Sailors’ opponents in the final, Sharjah FC of the United Arab Emirates, had expressed reservations about the May 18 decider being hosted at the Jalan Besar Stadium, claiming that it “does not meet the aspirations of the fans and stakeholders”.
Sharjah said that the 6,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium, which has an artificial pitch, is “not suitable” in terms of capacity and facilities.
It also stressed its organisational and hosting capabilities, as well as readiness to stage the final in a “manner befitting the importance of the competition”.
In response, the Sailors called for the game to be held at Jalan Besar, saying: “Jalan Besar Stadium has been a certified AFC Champions League Two venue that meets AFC’s regulations and requirements throughout the competition, successfully hosting six home matches in this tournament alone.”
The club added that the ground has a “proud history” of staging major football matches and has “more than proven itself as a capable and reliable venue”.
The National Stadium will not be available to host the final as it is scheduled to host a Lady Gaga concert on the date earmarked for the match.
