Just 90 minutes stand between the Lion City Sailors and a place in history — a chance to become the first Singaporean side to reach the final of a major Asian club competition.
But a true test of mettle awaits at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night (16 April), as the Sailors take on Sydney FC in the decisive second leg of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two semi-final.
Armed with a vital two-goal cushion following a commanding first-leg performance in Singapore, the Sailors know the job is far from done.
A fired-up Sydney ready to hit back
Stung by their defeat at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Sydney are determined to turn the tide on home soil. The Sky Blues will look to ride the momentum from a spirited 2-2 weekend draw against A-League leaders Auckland FC — a result that kept their Finals Series hopes alive.
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They currently sit sixth in the standings, holding a slender one-point lead over seventh-placed Adelaide United and a two-point advantage over Macarthur FC in eighth, with just three games remaining in the regular season.
Despite the pressure on multiple fronts, Sydney head coach Ufuk Talay remains confident in his side’s depth and character ahead of Wednesday night’s crunch encounter.
“The team’s looking good. Other than a couple of injuries that we already know about, we’ve got everyone available for selection for tomorrow’s clash,” said Talay at the pre-match press conference.
“It’s not the first time this season that we’ve been on the canvas and come back from it. I think the boys have shown good character and resilience to get themselves out of situations where we haven’t started with a positive scoreline.
“But we’ve also seen before — like against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (in the quarter-final second leg) — how we gave away a 2-0 lead in just 35 minutes against a quality opponent. So now, the reality is we need to score two goals in 90 minutes to give ourselves a real chance of getting something out of this game and progressing to the final.”
Sydney will also be driven by the knowledge that their only remaining path to continental football next season is to overturn this tie and go on to win the tournament.
Talay’s charges failed to defend their Australia Cup crown — which had secured their place in ACL Two this season — after a shock Round of 32 exit to National Premier Leagues (NPL) Victoria outfit Oakleigh Cannons FC.
They will be without key defender Alex Grant for the second leg due to a calf injury, but the rest of the squad is raring to go, especially with the in-form Adrian Segecic in their ranks.
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The 20-year-old, touted as one of Australia’s brightest prospects, netted a pair of stunning long-range goals over the weekend to go joint-top of the A-League scoring charts with 12 goals, and is likely to start this time round.
Sydney midfielder Anthony Cáceres believes that with the quality in their ranks, they are well-equipped to turn the tie around.
“We’ve got very capable players who can change the game at any moment,” said Cáceres. “Segecic has proven that time and time again. And ultimately, when things don’t go our way, we have our structure to fall back on. If we execute the structure and the game plan, we give ourselves the best chance for those moments to appear — and it’s about taking them when they come.
“We’ve got all the tools at our disposal. We’re tactically prepared, and individually, we’ve got players who can make a difference and get us back into the tie.”
Nonetheless, despite needing to overturn a two-goal deficit, Talay was quick to emphasise that his side would not adopt an all-out attacking approach from the first whistle.
“There’s not the mindset of going all out, all guns blazing,” he shared. “We need to be smart with the decisions we make. We know we need to score two goals to level the aggregate at 2-2, and then possibly look for a third.
“If that takes a bit longer than 90 minutes, so be it. But we’ll go out with the mentality that we need to play well, perform well, and score those two goals to give ourselves the best chance of getting something out of the game.”
Sailors gunning to create more history
While a tense battle awaits at the Allianz Stadium, the Lion City Sailors remain steadfast in their pursuit of silverware — both at home and on the continental stage.
Less than 12 hours after their goalless Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against Brunei DPMM on Saturday (12 April), the Sailors were already airborne, embarking on a near eight-hour, 6,300km journey to Sydney.
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Quick turnarounds and packed schedules have been par for the course this season, with this match marking their 47th outing in a gruelling yet exhilarating 2024/25 campaign.
Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković lauded his team’s commitment and resilience that have carried them this far, and is backing his players to rise to the occasion and secure their place in the inaugural ACL Two final.
“In these kinds of games, I don’t really have to motivate the players much — so for me, these are actually easier games to coach,” said the Serb. “The confidence is definitely there after the first leg, but we know this is going to be a totally different game. We’re ready — and we’re not just going to sit back, let’s be clear about that.
“What gives us confidence is that we’ve scored in every away game of this campaign. We know we’re capable of doing it again.
“I think we put in a pretty decent performance in the first leg, especially defensively — we neutralised a lot of their attacking threats. If I were to be a bit critical, we had the chance to kill off the tie in that match, and that’s maybe the one thing we could have done better.”
A homecoming for Bailey Wright
This clash will carry extra significance for Australian Bailey Wright, as it marks the first time the Sailors centre-back plays a professional club match on home soil.
Bailey began his professional career with Preston North End and spent 14 years in England across four clubs before making the move to Singapore in July 2023.
Despite a long and decorated career — which includes appearances at the FIFA World Cup and over 200 games in the English Championship — the 31-year-old had never played in the A-League, making this a poignant return to familiar shores.
His unique storyline has attracted considerable media attention in recent weeks, but the former Socceroo remains focused on the task at hand: helping the Sailors script another memorable chapter in their pursuit of continental glory.
“Occasions like this — a semi-final of the ACL Two — are an opportunity for us to really make our mark on Asian football and show what Singapore is all about,” said the Melbourne-born Bailey, who previously played at the Allianz Stadium during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with the Australian national team.
“We’ve got a really good group of players and staff who’ve worked incredibly hard to get to where we are. Singapore football doesn’t always get a lot of attention over here, especially when it comes to the league.
“But I think everyone who watched the first leg last Wednesday saw that we’re a quality side and we deserve to be at this stage. We’ve got some talented players, and we’ve been getting stronger and stronger since the start of the season.
“Sydney are a great team with a strong squad — I’ve always been a big supporter of the A-League — but we’re here to make a statement and show who we are, both as a team and as individuals.”
Bailey also rallied his teammates to leave everything on the pitch as they chase a moment that could define their careers.
“We’ve only been a club for five years, so just getting to this level is already a huge achievement — and now we’ve got an opportunity to make a final,” said Bailey. “Sometimes it can take 20 years for these moments to come around.
“You just never know, and that’s why you have to enjoy it and make the most of it. Before you know it, your career’s over and you’ll look back at nights like this. If you’ve capitalised on them, they’ll stay with you forever.
“We’re all aware of that. We know what’s at stake — and it’s not just important for us as a club or as individuals, but for Singapore as well.”
Should the Sailors progress, they will face either Saudi Arabia’s Al-Taawoun or UAE’s Sharjah FC in the final on 18 May.
