Make no mistake about it – despite home advantage, and our Sailors’ fairy-tale run to the final, Sharjah FC enters the final still as favourites. However, this represents an unprecedented opportunity for our Sailors to make history (again), and in this preview, I’ll tell you why I think it might happen (be warned, it’s a long read). But first, the lowdown on our opponents from Joseph Chin, once again.
The Lowdown on Sharjah FC by Joseph Chin
Origin
Sharjah was founded as al-Oruba Club in the Emirate of Sharjah back in 1966, predating the modern country we known as the United Arab Emirates (it was known back then as the Trucial States, built upon a complex relationship between the seven component Emirates and a rapidly decolonizing Britain that led to its independence in 1971).
As the first official champions of the newly formed UAE League in 1974, their subsequent merger of the Khaleej club within the district and its consolidation as the main club in its Emirate saw them reign four more times as champions and provide 8 players in the UAE’s sole appearance at the World Cup in 1990. Their high point was the 1991 victory in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Champions League, reigning supreme in a tournament amongst Arab clubs.
Its modern history was marked by their first ever relegation in 2012, a wake-up call that was heeded as they finally started challenging for honours again towards the current decade, with 2 Presidents Cups and a 2019 league win.
Famous Signings
Miralem Pjanic: The first brand name signing in the modern era for the club, the former Juventus winger did play a part in winning silverware for the club, kickstarting its current upwardly mobile phase.
Timur Kapadze: Well known to keen watchers of Asian football, the Uzbek centurion briefly appeared for Sharjah before finally retiring in the Uzbek league.
Man In the Hot Seat
Cosmin Olaroiu will leave Sharjah after this season, his achievements having secured the job of the head coach of the UAE National Team, just in time for the June World Cup qualifiers.
As a player, The former centre-back does enjoy a more glowing reputation across Asia than in his home country of Romania, having served Suwon Bluewings with distinction as a two time K-League winner (in 1998 and 1999).
As a manager, Olaroiu’s two stints with Bucharest giants National (where he was also a player) and Steaua in the volatile Romanian League prepared him for appointments as varied as Al Hilal, Al Sadd, the Saudi National Team and the defunct CSL champions Jiangsu Suning, places where impatience is the only constant.
Even though he won Steaua Bucharest it is in the Middle East (Qatar and UAE) where his coaching abilities are best appreciated, having maintained a streak of winning silverware at each of his club stints since Steaua. Highlights include his serial league winners Al Ain and the 2014 treble of Shabab al Ahli that was the catalyst for its AFC Champions League final appearance in 2015. He is a serial winner – let’s make sure he doesn’t add to his count on Sunday.
Dangermen
Adel Taarabt: Having revived his career with Al Nasr in Dubai after a roller coaster European career that saw great success at QPR and Benfica, as well as abject failure at Tottenham and Milan, the Moroccan international brings big game experience to the team as one of their marquee players with European experience. Not as dangerous as Caio, but still a very good player on his day.
Cho Yu-min: A familiar face to seven of our Lions, having featured in the June 2024 WCQ where we lost 7-0 to star studded South Korea, Hariss, Song and Co will be looking to avenge that defeat on the grandest of stages. Appearing in the 2022 World Cup with South Korea, the former Daejeon centre-back is now a regular starter for both club and country. One of the many former K-League stars now plying their trade in Arabia, away from the domestic press corps that seem to be more interested in his famous Kpop idol singer wife.
Caio, Luanzinho, Marcus Meloni and Guilherme Biro: Collectively, these Brazilians represent the single biggest threat in midfield. The first three are now naturalized Emiratis playing a role in the UAE NT after satisfying FIFA residency rules, and it is likely that age-group international Biro will eventually look to follow suit once his loan move from Corinthians is made permanent. Caio is the pick of the bunch – he is their top-scorer and has 19 goals from 35 games, including 5 in the ACL2. He has also racked up 8 assists.
Tyrone Conraad: while the former Feyenoord youth product hasn’t had the best of senior careers, the Suriname international’s time at the Eerste Divisie might provide solutions to counter the distinctly Dutch flavour of our football, especially as a viable wildcard option in attack from the bench.
Leon Dajaku: Not a dangerman so far, but just an interesting thing to note. Leon was Bailey Wright’s team mate in Sunderland (2021-2023) and would probably want to prove a point against his former captain. Sharjah’s most recent signing to replace Paco Alcacer might be the secret weapon to turn things around late on. The former Bayern Munich reserve winger has been used sparingly from the bench since coming in from Croatia, but has experience in the Bundesliga with Union Berlin and in European competition with Hajduk Split.
The Pitch Saga
Thank you to Joseph for weighing in as he always does. It’s been such a joy reading his lowdowns on this ACL2 run, and I hope we get to see more over the coming years! But now, back to me, and let’s bring our minds back to Sharjah moaning about our pitch.
You’ll remember of course, that Sharjah FC was so scared of Jalan Besar Stadium, and the illustrious opponents that we’ve dispatched there, that they put out an open letter addressed to AFC, demanding that the final be played elsewhere in a “stadium worthy of the AFC Champions League Two Final”. It was an unexpectedly cowardly move, considering the Jalan Besar Stadium was deemed suitable to host the likes of true Asian giants, such as Jeonbuk, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and Kashima Antlers. None of those sides complained.
They highlighted the astroturf, and the capacity as the 2 main reasons for their complaint. Let’s address the capacity first – their stadium seats 12,499, and their average attendance is 1,216 fans per game. Even if they flew all their fans over, Jalan Besar would be able to host them all. So that’s bullshit.
We know of course, the real concern is the astroturf. It wouldn’t have gone unnoticed what kind of results we’ve picked up against some very strong teams in recent years at Jalan Besar. Teams usually struggle at first to impose their game on a surface they might not be that familiar with. But isn’t that the beauty of football?
When you play an away game, you have to deal with the conditions. As skipper Hariss Harun did in 2015, leading his JDT side out against Tajik side Istiklol in the AFC Cup final (now known as the ACL2). It was an away game, in cold conditions, on an astroturf pitch. Did Hariss or JDT make any complaints? Nope. They understood that this is the beauty of football, and they got on with it.
And they won. So Sharjah, just Shhhhhhhhhhh.
The funny thing about Sharjah’s complaints is that it may have backfired spectacularly. Once the club and the local football stakeholders got wind of Sharjah’s sly attempts to move the final away from Singapore (SOMETHING THAT WAS PRE-DETERMINED IN THE RULES BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT STARTED), they got to work immediately.
Efforts were made to convince AFC that Singapore was a suitable venue. Be it Jalan Besar or Bishan Stadium, there would definitely be a way to make it work. And so plans were made. An extended VIP area outside Bishan Stadium, a covered walkway extending from the entrance of Bishan Stadium across to all four stands. Four stands you say? Wait what? Yes, four stands to make the capacity 10,000.
Sharjah would have only had to deal with about 5000 home fans had they stuck to Jalan Besar Stadium. but now they will have closer to 9000 home fans. And are these home fans going to be warm and welcoming? Hell no. They will be baying for some Emirati blood to be spilt, after the cowardly gestures of our opponents.
Be careful what you wish for.
Written in the Stars For Us?
A common theme when I ask Sailors fans about the run to the ACL2 final, and what they think might happen on Sunday, is that they acknowledge we may be the underdogs, but feel that it is somewhat written in the stars for us to win the whole damn thing.
And I can see why they think that way.
Group Stage
Even in the group stage, we’ve had to fight all sorts of adversity. There was the disappointment of almost wrapping up qualification on Matchday 4, but we inexplicably let slip a 2-goal lead in the last few minutes to lose to Persib Bandung at home. That could have been the knockout blow – Persib were widely regarded as the weakest of our 3 opponents in the group stage, so it felt like we’d blown our chances.
On Matchday 5, we took on Zhejiang FC in freezing Hangzhou. A win would see us through to the knockout stages, but it would be a tough task.
Against all odds, our Sailors held a 2-0 lead in the 62nd minute, However, that lead lasted all of 7 minutes. It was 2-2 by the 69th minute, and at full-time it was 4-2. A crushing defeat.
Matchday 6 saw even more drama – again our Sailors led 2-0, but let the lead slip. It was 2-2 again. Tension was high in the stands – the supporters could not quite believe what they were seeing. But then who can forget Song Ui-Young’s wondergoal? He had done it for LCS and for Home United over the years, the man to count on in continental competitions. Maxime sent Asnawi for a (Halal) hotdog on the right, and then Song leapt into the air to scissor-kick the ball into the top corner, sparking rapturous celebrations.
It was to get better, as Lenny and Shawal added 2 more goals to make it 5-2 and seal qualification to the knockout stages.
Round of 16
Then came the Round of 16. Our Sailors took a 3-0 away lead against Muangthong, but then a Song red card allowed our opponents to claw back 2 goals. That was the end of the drama for the Round of 16, as we swatted our Thai opponents aside 4-0 at Jalan Besar.
Quarter-Finals and the Sanfrecce Slip-Up
Then came the real “written in the stars” moment for us – a 6-1 thwacking at the hands of Sanfrecce Hiroshima away from home, unexpectedly became a 3-0 victory for us, because they had fielded an ineligible player when they beat us. It’s the sort of thing that if a scriptwriter wrote it for a sports movie, the moviegoer will go – “lame, what nonsense kind of plot armour is that”. In fact, true story, someone said, “if LCS come back from this 6-1 defeat and win the ACL2, I will circumcise myself“.
This shit will never happen again, I’m sure, but it happened to us.
We still had to make sure Sanfrecce didn’t score a hatful of goals against us in the return leg, and we did it, gritting out a 1-1 draw to secure passage to a semi-final against Sydney FC. My blunt pair of scissors was ready to go.
Semi-Finals Against Douglas Costa and his Sydney Mates
A 2-0 victory against Sydney FC at Jalan Besar may look routine on the scoresheet, but it was anything but. It was a combination of defensive grit and tactical discipline on the field, and off the field, the fans felt like they were playing the game too.
Every tackle was roared, every foul called against us was booed. And what better sound is there in local football, than thousands of fans shouting “Buto!” in unison? There is nothing better than that, I tell you. And of course, who can forget the superb goals from Lenny and Bart that day? They will live long in the memory.
But then at 2-0, it was only half-time in the tie. Our Sailors still had to go over to Sydney and complete the job. Our Sailors looked like they may have emerged with a clean sheet away from home, but alas, Joe Lolley popped up in the 85th minute with a goal to give Sydney some hope. In the end, we managed to pull through and qualify for the Final.
When you’ve beaten opponents of such calibre – Sydney FC, Zhejiang FC, Port FC, and held the likes of Persib and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, there is a belief that this team is special.
But when you lose 2-goal leads in consecutive matches and still pull through in the end, when you lose 6-1 and an administrative slip-up means you still pull through in the end, then you begin to wonder. Is an ACL2 victory written in the stars for us?
Sharjah’s Road to the Final
If we feel that our road to the final shows there is someone up there looking out for us – our opponents Sharjah may very well feel the same way.
Their group stage was pretty straightforward, as they topped their group and qualified for the knock-out round with relative ease.
It was in the knock-out rounds that the dramatic stuff happened. In the Round of 16, they defeated Jordanian side Al-Hussein on penalties. It was penalties again that decided the tie at the quarter-final stage, when they defeated domestic rivals Shabab Al Ahli (who have beaten them this season to the league title, and also the UAE President’s Cup just a week ago).
Then came the semi-finals, where they were underdogs coming into the tie against Al Taawoun, who hail from the prestigious Saudi Pro League. Although they lost the away leg 1-0, the return leg at home was full of drama. First, they saved a penalty, and then as time looked to be running out on them, they scored in the 4th and 9th minute of second-half injury time to win 2-1 on aggregate and progress to the final.
As much as we think our progress to the final is written in the stars, I wouldn’t blame their fans for thinking the same about their journey.
Sharjah’s Form
Sharjah are currently in a wretched run of form.
Their league performance is actually quite decent – Shabab Al-Ahli has just been that much better. However, since they released the statement whining about the Jalan Besar Stadium, they’ve been hit by a good dose of karma.
Statement release – 17 April, after they beat Al-Taawoun in that dramatic semi-final game. Since then, they have played 7 games, winning 1 game, drawing 1 game, and losing the other 5. Crucially, they lost the President’s Cup Final. That, coupled with their 2nd place finish in the league, means that they have the rare opportunity to win a unique treble of their own – the Neverkusen treble. In 2001/2002, Bayer Leverkusen were having a great season, but lost out in the title race, finishing 2nd, and then lost in the DFB Pokal final, and the UEFA Champions League final as well. Interestingly, Bayern Munich did the same in 2012.
Hopefully, Sharjah will repeat these heroics come Sunday.
Conclusion
With all that being said – it is gonna be one heck of a tough match this Sunday. Beating Sharjah will be a huge achievement, but then again, getting to the final, and hosting it here is also a huge achievement. We’ve seen how on and off the pitch, our Sailors are truly capable of producing the unthinkable. A 1-1 draw at home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima when they needed 3 goals? Unthinkable. Finishing top of a group including Zhejiang, Port and Persib? Unthinkable. Losing 2-0 leads thrice in a row and still qualifying for the knockout stages? Unthinkable. Limiting a frontline of Klimala, Douglas Costa, Joe Lolley and Adrian Segecic to just 1 goal over 180 minutes? Unthinkable. Hosting 10,000 people at Bishan Stadium? Unthinkable.
But we’ve shown time and again that when you put resources in the right place, and you commit fully with heart and mind, that Singapore is truly capable of extraordinary feats.
Come Sunday, I’d like to call upon all fans to get there early, soak in the carnival atmosphere, enjoy a continental final, but then after that, lock in for the 90 minutes (and more). The players and staff have done their part, now it’s the time for us to do our part too. Short of putting on football boots and shin pads, we must go to the stadium and PLAY the game. By that, I mean, that we must move as one with the players. Cheer every tackle, applaud every good pass, pick the players up after a bad pass or a bad shot, give the opponents hell if they even dare to dive on our hallowed turf – give them the energy they need to overcome Sharjah FC.
Even if we are losing 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, I don’t care – we stand up and let’s make ourselves heard, let’s ensure that Asia takes notice of the Lion City Sailors.
Regardless of the result at the final whistle – this is already a historic achievement for our Sailors. I don’t dare to say we will definitely win the game, but I dare to say this –
THEY’LL REMEMBER WHO WE ARE.
COME ON YOU BOYS IN BLUE!
My predicted line-up
Izwan Mahbud
Hami Syahin, Hariss Harun, Bailey Wright, Toni Datkovic, Diogo Costa
Rui Pires, Song Ui-Young
Maxime Lestienne, Lennart Thy, Bart Ramselaar
Score Prediction
Joseph and I predict the scores and track our success in a table. Stay tuned to find out who is the prediction king!
Eddy’s prediction: Sailors1 Sharjah 1 (Sailors to win on penalties)
Joseph’s prediction: Sailors 3 Sharjah 1
Written by Eddy Hirono and Joseph Chin
Picture credit – Lion City Sailors
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