The Lion City Sailors Shopee Cup 2026/27 campaign is set to begin in October, with the ASEAN Football Federation officially confirming that Singapore’s reigning champions will open their ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) group stage with back-to-back blockbuster home ties. First up on 8 October: Vietnam’s Công An Hà Nội (CAHN), followed by Indonesian champions Persib Bandung at Jalan Besar Stadium on 10 December.
For the three-time Singapore Premier League champions, this is not just another regional campaign — it is a chance to prove that Singapore football belongs at the top table of Southeast Asian club competition. After falling short in the Shopee Cup group stage last season, head coach Jesús Casas and his squad will be motivated to go further this time.
The Full Group B Fixture List
The Sailors’ complete Group B schedule makes for compelling reading. After the two high-profile home openings against CAHN and Persib, they travel to Cambodia to face reigning ACC champions PKR Svay Rieng on 17 December 2026 — arguably the toughest away fixture in the pool.
The new year brings Port FC of Thailand to Jalan Besar on 25 February 2027, before a trip to face the qualifying play-off winner (either Laos’ Ezra FC or Myanmar’s Shan United) on 4 March. The group stage concludes with a mouthwatering derby of sorts — an away fixture against Malaysian giants Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) at the iconic Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on 1 April 2027.
To advance to the quarter-finals, the Sailors must finish in the top four of their six-team group — a realistic target, though the competition will be stiff.
A Formidable Opening: CAHN and Persib Bandung
Opening at home is always an advantage, and the Sailors will be eager to bank maximum points from their first two Group B matches. CAHN — Công An Hà Nội — are Vietnam’s dominant force, backed by the might of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and boasting a squad reinforced with foreign talent. They are not a side that rolls over.
Persib Bandung, meanwhile, are one of the most storied clubs in Indonesian football, with a passionate fanbase known as the Viking Army. Indonesian club football has grown rapidly in recent years, and Persib will arrive with genuine ambitions of their own. The clash at Jalan Besar promises to be electric.
Svay Rieng: The Champions’ Test
PKR Svay Rieng’s presence as reigning ACC champions should not be taken lightly. The Cambodian outfit have repeatedly demonstrated that Southeast Asian football’s traditional hierarchy is shifting. Their away support will be modest, but in Phnom Penh, they are formidable — which is why the Sailors’ away fixture on 17 December shapes up as potentially the defining game of their campaign.
Building Towards a Knockout Stage Run
The Sailors’ ambitions this season extend well beyond the SPL. After clinching back-to-back league titles with an unbeaten 2025/26 campaign, the club has set its sights firmly on making an impact regionally. The SPL 2025/26 season review highlighted just how dominant the Sailors were domestically — now they want to translate that form onto the continental stage.
The quarter-final knockout phase begins in May 2027, with single-leg ties before the semi-finals and final revert to two-legged formats. Reaching that stage would represent a significant milestone for Singapore club football.
Midfielder Bart Ramselaar — who contributed eight goals and 10 assists in the SPL this season — will be central to the Sailors’ creative output, while the defensive structure built around goalkeeper Ivan Sušak provides a solid foundation. Coach Casas has spoken of wanting to achieve strong continental results, and for Singapore football fans following the SPL Awards Night, this Shopee Cup campaign cannot arrive soon enough.
Mark 8 October in your calendar — when the Sailors host CAHN at Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore’s continental journey begins in earnest.
