The Lion City Sailors will face opposition from Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong in the group stage of the 2026/27 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) Two competition.
The Sailors were drawn into Group F in the East Region following the Official Group Stage Draw held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday afternoon (18 August).
They will come up against A-League powerhouse Adelaide United, Thai League 1 side BG Pathum United, and reigning Hong Kong FA Cup winners Tai Po FC as they look to mount another strong campaign on the continental stage.
The draw meant the Sailors will play a Thai team for a third straight season in the ACL Two, after facing Port FC in 2024/25 and Bangkok United in 2025/26.
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The 2026/27 tournament will retain last season’s format, with 32 teams divided equally between the West and East regions. The eight groups will each feature four teams, who will play one another home and away between 16 September and 3 December.
The top two sides from each group will advance to the Round of 16 in February 2027, with the tournament culminating in a one-off final on 15 May.
The Sailors have experienced contrasting fortunes in the past two editions of the ACL Two.
In 2024/25, they captured the imagination of the region by reaching the final, becoming the first Singaporean club to contest the showpiece of a major Asian club competition.
Their campaign last season, however, fell short of their lofty standards.
Drawn in a fiercely contested all-Southeast Asian group, the Sailors remained in contention until the final matchday and finished with 10 points — the same number they accumulated when topping their group the previous season. An inferior head-to-head record ultimately saw them edged out by Bangkok United for the second qualification spot.
“The ACL Two 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,” said Sailors Executive Director Bruce Liang.
“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.”
