Written By: Kenneth Ho
After finishing as champions last season, Warriors FC earned the right to participate in the AFC Champions League qualifying phase after a four-year absence and will face Yadanarbon FC in a preliminary match on 4 February 2015.
Should Warriors overcome Myanmar’s Yadanarbon, they will next face Guangzhou R&F, with the winners taking on Australia’s Central Coast Mariners for a right to play in the group stages of the tournament.
The last time Warriors played in the Champions League was 2010, when they made it all the way to the group stages.
To bolster the Warriors’ hopes of making the group stages, coach Alex Weaver has signed reinforcements with Hougang duo Fazli Jaffar and Syaqir Sulaiman making the move over to league champions.
Woodlands Wellington versatile player Andy Ahmad too has joined the team, adding depth to the Warriors squad.
In addition, Daniel Ong from Home United, Emmeric Ong from LionsXII and Tanjong Pagar United’s Prime League star Marcus Wheeler are all set to don the Warriors’ jersey next season.
Balestier Khalsa will also be involved in a regional tournament, after they qualified for the AFC Cup for the first-time by winning the RHB Singapore Cup last season.
In their debut, the Tigers will face either Kitchee FC or Sun Pegasus on 24 February 2015.
The Tigers have also been drawn alongside East Bengal, and either Johor Darul Ta’zim or Selangor in Group F.