Lion City Sailors FC coach Aleksandar Ranković is relishing his side’s return to Jalan Besar Stadium for their ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ Group B clash on Wednesday as the Singapore Premier League champions take on Myanmar’s Shan United FC.
The match will be the club’s first at their regular home stadium in the 2025/26 Shopee Cup™ after previously playing at Bishan Stadium and the Serbian coach is delighted his side will be running out in familiar surroundings.
“We are very excited,” he said. “Finally, we can play back at Jalan Besar Stadium, where we have very good memories. Hopefully the weather will suit us better, but we are happy to be playing at home again. Playing matches like this is something we missed earlier in the season.
“With all due respect, some venues are not really football stadiums. Jalan Besar feels like a proper football stadium, especially when it is full. It is compact, the fans are close, and we have very good memories there, so I am very happy to be back.”
Lion City have picked up one point from their two matches in the Shopee Cup™ so far this season and Ranković’s side are taking on a Shan United side that has yet to pick up a point after losses to PKR Svay Rieng FC and Nam Định FC.
The Singaporeans started their campaign with a 3-1 loss against Johor Darul Ta’zim FC before drawing 2-2 against Bangkok United FC earlier this month to sit six points adrift of the Malaysia Super League side, who currently top the standings.
“From the beginning, we knew how difficult this group would be,” said Ranković. “There are many strong teams, but we also know our own quality, both individually and as a team. We believe we can compete and we believe we can win, and that is our mindset.”
Shan United go into the match at the bottom of the Group B standings but coach U Han Win Aung believes his side have learned from their previous outings in the competition this season.
“Every match is a new challenge for us,” he said. “Results from the past do not decide what happens next. What matters is how we prepare and how we perform on the pitch tomorrow.
“We believe in our preparation and in our players. We know there are things we must improve, and we are focused on doing that step by step.”
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