Buoyed by an emphatic 6-1 victory over the Young Lions on Sunday, the Lion City Sailors will now look to carry that momentum onto the continental stage when they face Hong Kong’s Tai Po FC in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two on Thursday (15 October) evening.
The clash at Mong Kok Stadium offers Mark Jackson’s men the chance to secure their first win in this season’s competition after a 1-1 home draw with BG Pathum United, but they face a Tai Po side who went unbeaten at home in last season’s ACL Two.
Tai Po’s home threat
Founded in 2002, Tai Po have deservedly built up a reputation for punching above their weight. After all, they became the first district club to win the Hong Kong Premier League in 2018/19, before claiming a surprise second title in 2024/25.
And although they finished second in the league last season, Tai Po still enjoyed a successful season as they lifted both the FA Cup and Senior Shield, while also making their mark in the ACL Two.
Notably, all seven of their points in the ACL Two came at home, as they beat Vietnam’s Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC 1-0 and Australia’s Macarthur FC 2-1, before coming from behind to hold Beijing Guoan to a 3-3 draw. They ultimately missed out on a place in the last 16 by a narrow margin.
And their impressive home record at the Mong Kok Stadium should give Lee Chi Kin’s side confidence as they look to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Adelaide United in their opening group match this season.
“The team did very well at home in this competition last season, and that gives us a lot of motivation,” said the 59-year-old. “Of course, it’s a different season with different opponents, but we’ll always give our best to compete in every match and put in a strong performance for our fans in Hong Kong.”
Tai Po boast a strong Brazilian contingent, with six of the 11 players who started against Adelaide hailing from the South American nation. Among them are long-serving defender Gabriel Cividini and his centre-back partner Léo Rigo.
Their other foreign players include Argentine attacker Facundo Aranda and Taiwanese winger Emilio Estevez, who played for Tanjong Pagar United in Singapore last season.
There are familiar faces among their Hong Kong players, too, with player-assistant coach Fernando Pedreira representing Hong Kong against Singapore in last November’s Asian Cup qualifier at the Kai Tak Stadium. He also scored the last time he faced the Sailors to help former club Kitchee SC to a 2-0 victory at the Jalan Besar Stadium in December 2023.
Meanwhile, vice-captain Philip Chan Siu Kwan made history by scoring the Asian Cup’s 1,000th goal while representing Hong Kong at the 2023 edition and has come up against the Singapore national team a number of times in his international career.
“I’ve known their captain, Hariss Harun, for more than 10 years, since he was playing for Johor Darul Ta’zim. He’s a legend in Singapore football. I also know the Fandi brothers, and one of them is at the Sailors after previously playing in Thailand,” said the 34-year-old.
“I have a lot of respect for Singapore’s national team players. Singapore football has been improving, and we’re trying to do the same in Hong Kong, so we look to Singapore as a reference. I’ve faced them many times, and I’m looking forward to this game at the club level.
“Mong Kok Stadium is a very special place. We always give visiting teams a hard time here, and we hope to do that again tomorrow.”
Sailors seek first continental win this season
For the Sailors, Thursday’s encounter presents an opportunity to claim their first continental victory of the season and get their ACL Two campaign truly up and running.
“Tomorrow’s a big occasion for us. We’re representing not just our club, but also Singapore on this stage. We want to be successful in this competition, and it’s important that we approach this game with an attacking mindset,” said Sailors Head Coach Mark Jackson.
“It’s going to be a tough game. Tai Po have a very structured style of play. They attack and combine very well in wide areas, and they have players who can hurt us individually. We know where their threats lie, but we’ve also identified areas we can exploit.
“We always focus on ourselves and want to impose our game on the opposition, whether we’re at home or away. We don’t underestimate our opponents, but we’re here to win.”
Following a 1-1 home draw with BG Pathum United on Matchday One, the Sailors will be keen to claim all three points in Hong Kong and strengthen their bid for a place in the last 16.
Having reached the final two seasons ago, they are hungry for another memorable run in Asia, and overcoming Tai Po on their own turf would be a significant step towards that goal.
“We’ve achieved good things in the ACL Two before, but that’s history. We’re as committed as ever to excelling at this level, and tomorrow’s goal is three points, nothing else,” said Toni Datković, who captained the side against BG Pathum United on Matchday One.
“We’ve spent some time with Coach Mark now, and everything is moving in the right direction, but we’re still at the beginning of this process. When we found out he was coming, we knew his calibre. He’s won titles wherever he’s been and has a winning mentality.
“When a coach like him comes in, you believe in what he says and follow his lead. We have to be fully committed to everything we do, and if we are, we can be very successful in every competition this season.”
