Tampines Rovers players celebrate a goal in the Singapore Premier League, 16 April 2021
SINGAPORE, 11 MAY 2021 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) yesterday confirmed Uzbekistan as host for the 2021 AFC Champions League (ACL) Group H that Tampines Rovers have been drawn in.
The matches are scheduled to be played in a centralised format in Tashkent from 25 June to 10 July. Tampines, who will make their ACL debut proper, have been drawn against A-League champions Sydney FC, K League 1 and Korean FA Cup champions Jeonbuk Hyundai and J1 League runners-up Gamba Osaka. The Uzbekistan Football Association will also host Group I, including their play-off match.
The Stags have already had two AIA Singapore Premier League matches rescheduled from June to May as a result of their ACL commitments.
The AFC had announced in late January that the group stage matches in the ACL East Region, which include Tampines, would be played from 21 April to 7 May at a centralised venue. However, in March, the Asian football governing body was forced to reschedule the matches to June/July due to “existing travel restrictions and quarantine challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic”.
