Whatever did happen, heartbreak awaits the Lion City Sailors on May 18, 2025. In front of a packed stand of 12,000 fans at the newly renovated Bishan Stadium, they fell to Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates in the AFC Champions League Two championship match. The game finished in extraordinary fashion, with a last-second goal giving the USWNT the win. This robbed the Sailors of a famous win, their opportunity to make history as the first local club to win a continental title.
The Sailors had shown remarkable resilience throughout their campaign, overcoming significant challenges and top-tier teams, including Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Australia’s Sydney FC, to reach the final. Bishan Stadium, newly renovated—three brand new stands added in fact—was filled to near capacity with about 10,000 fans for the decisive game.
Road to the Final
Lion City Sailors’ road to the final was defined by stellar skill and grit. Their worst result on the way to the final was a 4-0 aggregate victory over quarter-final opponents, Sanfrecce Hiroshima. After this success, they triumphed over Sydney FC 2-1 on aggregate. This win not only guaranteed their spot in the final but proved their mettle against tough competition.
Indeed, the last Singaporean team to have made it past the group stages in an AFC club competition was back in 2018. Home United, now rebranded as Lion City Sailors, went on to reach the inter-zone semi-finals of the AFC Cup that season. This season, the Sailors were out for history, to become the first team from their continent to raise a trophy, but came up just short.
The Final Match
When it came to the final, Lion City Sailors started poorly before they quickly got into their stride on their way to victory. Bart Ramselaar did the dangerous work early as he saw a shot deflected over the bar. In the 34th minute, right-back Diogo Costa nearly gave the hosts the lead. It whistled past defenders and struck the post with such venom that even Sharjah’s goalkeeper, Adel Al-Hosani, was helpless.
7 – Firas Ben Larbi‘s first goal for Sharjah came in the 74th minute. The game was tight, with end to end action, and both teams generating plenty of chances. Lion City Sailors hit back superbly, with Maxime Lestienne making it 1-1 in the first minute of first half stoppage time.
“Our guys did a tremendous job, especially after going 1-0 down,” – Aleksandar Rankovic
Hearts’ hopes soared among the home players. Calamity befell the Sailors when Marcus Meloni netted Sharjah’s winner in the seventh minute of injury time. This stoppage-time goal capped a 2-1 win for Sharjah and had Lion City Sailors reeling.
Reflections on the Campaign
Despite the disappointment of losing in such dramatic fashion, head coach Aleksandar Rankovic expressed pride in his team’s performance throughout the tournament. He pointed to their underdog status and stressed that success comes from belief and talent, not just from name recognition or brand.
“Every game we played in this campaign, we were the underdog … This year showed me that if you believe it, and of course, if you have the football players I have, you can go so far,” – Aleksandar Rankovic
Perhaps the most important lesson out of this whole endeavor, Rankovic would go on to tell his players and fans, was learned by all.
“The number one lesson is that you should never stop dreaming and believing,” – Aleksandar Rankovic
The Lion City Sailors’ historic campaign has almost certainly created a new benchmark for Singaporean football on an international scale. Their sheer determination to get to that final has inspired a generation of fans and players since, delivering a powerful message of hope for future successes.
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