News Singapore Premier League • January 27, 2021
Tampines Rovers, Lion City Sailors and Geylang International find out opponents for 2021 AFC Champions League and AFC Cup group stage
The AFC Cup and AFC Champions League trophies (Photo: AFC)
SINGAPORE, 27 JANUARY 2021 – The three Singaporean club representatives for the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) tournaments in 2021 discovered their group stage draw earlier today.
Tampines Rovers, who will make their AFC Champions League (ACL) debut proper, will face a baptism of fire in Group H where A-League champions Sydney FC, K League 1 and Korean FA Cup champions Jeonbuk Hyundai and J1 League runners-up Gamba Osaka are their opponents.
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In the AFC Cup, the Lion City Sailors and Geylang International were drawn into Group H and Group I respectively. The Sailors will have to navigate past Malaysia Super League (MSL) runners-up Kedah Darul Aman, V.League 1 second runners-up Sài Gòn and a play-off winner. Meanwhile, Geylang will face Philippines Football League runners-up Kaya FC-Iloilo, MSL third-placed finishers Terengganu FC and either Shan United (Myanmar National League champions) or Ayeyawady United (Myanmar National League third-placed finishers; in the event that Shan United qualify for the ACL group stage, they will be the replacement).
? How the #AFCCup2021 group stage draw turned out for the Sailors ⚓️ and Geylang ?
Predictions for the two ?? @AFCCup representatives? #SPL pic.twitter.com/tPM9zvKQqO
— Singapore Premier League (@SGPremierLeague) January 27, 2021
As announced by the AFC on Monday, both tournaments will be staged at centralised venues this season. The group stage matches in the ACL East Region, which include Tampines, are will be played from 21 April to 7 May. The group stage matches in the AFC Cup ASEAN Zone, which involve the Sailors and Geylang, will take place from 22 to 28 June. The entire AFC Cup group stage will be played in a single match round-robin format.
The AFC is expected to provide confirmation of the centralised venues in due course.
