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With their hands on their hips, the Tampines players glanced at the scoreboard which confirmed yet another disappointing exit from Asia’s continental club competition. The club has just a two-goal lead slip in the Asian Football Federation (AFC Cup) play-offs against Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown FC, sealing their fate even before reaching the competition’s group stages.
It was a sight all too familiar to the Rovers faithful, whose side have often struggled to make an impression outside the domestic league.
However, BG Tampines Rovers’ inclusion in this season’s new second-tier club competition – the AFC Champions League Two presents an opportunity for the club to banish their woes on the continental front. The club was handed a favourable group in an August 16 draw, avoiding clubs from powerhouse nations like Japan and Korea. Still, the teams in their group are no pushovers and have the quality to pose a stern challenge to this Stags side.
1. Bangkok United
BG Tampines’ first test would arguably be their hardest – an away trip to the Thammasat Stadium to face Thai giants Bangkok United tomorrow, 18 September.
The club came agonisingly close to securing a spot amongst Asia’s best after losing the Asian Champions League Elite playoffs on penalties to Shandong Taishan, confining them to the second-tier competition. They will now see this as an opportunity to capture some much-needed silverware, with last season’s FA Cup triumph being only the club’s first major domestic title since winning the league in 2006. Since then, the Bangkok Angels have finished runners-up in the league in four of the last eight seasons, including the previous campaign where they relinquished their lead in the standings late on to Buriram United.
The club did surpass expectations on the continental front though, finishing top in a tough Asian Champions League group and falling narrowly in the knockout stages to a strong Yokohama F.Marinos side.
Bangkok United boasts plenty of quality players who offer bags of experience on both the domestic and international front. They are led by Brazilian centre-back Everton, whose rock-solid defending and consistency helped the side concede the fewest goals in the league. Swedish-born Palestinian winger Mahmoud Eid also enjoyed a productive season, registering 10 goals and 12 assists. The team also carries several experienced Thai internationals such as midfielders Pokklaw Anan, Thitiphan Puangchan, and Weerathep Pomphan.
The club has also secured the services of a few marquee foreign forwards, including former Dutch wonderkid Richario Zivkovic – who bagged a brace against the Stags in his Singapore Cup campaign last season. Other new recruits like Red Star Belgrade and Anderlecht winger Luka Adzic, as well as Omani goal machine Mushen Al-Ghassan complete one of the strongest squads not just in the group, but the competition as a whole.
Coach: Totchtawan Sripan
A serial winner in his playing days, Totchtawan has racked up over a century of caps for Thailand and is widely dubbed as the best midfielder the country has ever produced. His first managerial triumph came in 2015, helping the now-defunct Police United to win the Thai Division 1 League and promotion to the first tier. That was followed by a largely successful spell at Muangthong United where he won a league title and two league cups from 2016 to 2018, earning him the 2016 Thai League 1 Coach of the Year award. He won the individual accolade for a second time with Bangkok United last season after capturing the club’s first FA Cup title in their history.
One to watch: Thitiphan Puangchan
After making over 300 appearances in Thailand and winning 5 domestic honours, Thitiphan Puangchan is raring to go again after missing the bulk of last season due to a serious ligament injury. The 31-year-old will be looking to discover the form that made him one of the best midfielders in the league in the past few years and has been immediately reinstated to Bangkok’s starting eleven for the first few games. Equally adept at creating chances and doing his defensive duties, the hardworking box-to-box midfielder’s technical attributes and work rate were sorely missed last season.
2. Lee Man
Since its establishment in June 2017, Lee Man has ascended quickly to the top of the Hong Kong football pyramid. They successfully toppled the Kitchee SC dynasty in the Hong Kong Premier League last season, shocking the perennial favourites by romping to the league title unbeaten. They became only the second team in the league to finish the season unbeaten, finishing with 17 wins and three draws. Lee Man also came close to qualifying for the AFC Champions League last season, trashing Indonesia’s Bali United 5-1 before falling 3-0 in the play-off round to 2022 winners Urawa Red Diamonds.
Despite losing key defenders Tsui Wang-kit and Yu Wai-lim to China in the recent transfer window, retaining the services of Estonian forward Herni Anier after some contractural uncertainties has been the club’s biggest victory in the market. The former Motherwell and Dundee United forward’s 17 goals were the joint-highest in the league, with many defenders struggling to cope with his immense power and clinical finishing. Lee Man also poached young fullback Timothy Chow from Hong Kong FC, a player who is widely regarded as one of the league’s most promising talents. Along with key Hong Kong internationals like attacking midfielder Wong Wai and defensive lynchpin Wu Chun Ming, Lee Man is more than capable of causing a few upsets in the competition.
Coach: Tsang Chiu Tat
Tsang Chiu Tat featured for 8 different Hong Kong clubs during his 8 years as a player, before taking the reigns at Yuen Long after retiring at the club in 2016. Despite being one of the youngest managers in the league at 27, he still led the team to their first Senior Challenge Shield in 50 years. After stints at Hong Kong United and Sun Source FC, Chiu Tat joined Lee Man in 2018 as an assistant manager, where he was eventually appointed head coach in 2023 after the sacking of Chan Hiu Ming.
One to watch: Jiloan Hamad
One of Lee Man’s greatest-ever signings, Jiloan Hamad will add a different dimension to the club’s attacking unit. A right-footed winger and attacking midfielder who can play on both flanks, the 33-year-old will look to form a deadly partnership with goalscorer Anier. The 33-year-old was once one of the hottest prospects in Sweden, with top sides like Fulham and West Ham chasing for his signature. Capped for both Sweden and Iran, Hamad spent 5 years at Malmo where he quickly became a fan favourite, making over 100 appearances for the Swedish club and winning two league titles. He won the Allsvenskan (Swedish top-flight) Midfielder of the Year award in 2013, before spending an underwhelming few years in the Bundesliga with 1899 Hoffenheim.
3. Nam Dinh FC
Just 5 years ago, Nam Dinh FC was staring down the barrel after finishing 13th in the 14-team league, setting up a do-or-die relegation play-off tie with Hanoi B (now known as Hong Linh Ha Tinh). After a goalless 90 minutes, defender Dinh Viet Tu slotted home the decisive penalty as Nam Dinh won the shootout 5-3, ensuring that they stayed in the Vietnamese top flight for another season. Since then, Nam Dinh has grown from strength to strength, capturing the V.League title last season – their first top-flight title since 1985. They also have one of the most passionate fanbases in Vietnam, topping the league’s average attendance charts for many years.
To ensure continuity within the squad, Nam Dinh has retained the bulk of their title-winning assets like top scorer Rafaelson, key centre-back Lucas Alves, and attacking midfielder Hendrio – who enjoyed a productive season with 12 goals and 13 assists. The club also further bolstered its foreign contingent with Uganda international Joseph Mpande from Hai Phong FC, along with the Brazilian duo of Walber Motta and Caio Cesar. However, playmaker Nguyen Van Toan is still a doubt for the campaign, having missed the club’s last few matches due to an ankle injury. The 51-capped Vietnamese was one of the club’s standout locals in the previous campaign, with players like left-back Phong Hong Duy Nguyen and central midfielder Cong Hoang Anh Ly also catching the eye.
Coach: Vu Hong Viet
One of the key figures in nurturing the country’s rising stars, the 45-year-old won many titles with the national under-15 and under-19 age groups during his time as a youth coach, while overseeing the development of many current national team stars like Nguyen Quang Hai, Doan Van Hau, and Tran Dinh Trong. In his first campaign as a senior team coach in 2019, Hong Viet stepped in to lead relegation-threatened Quang Nam FC to safety, eventually finishing in 9th place. After leaving the club in 2020, he played an active role in the under-22 and under-23 Vietnamese national teams as an assistant to then-coach Park Hang-seo.
One to watch: Rafaelson
After winning the golden boot with 16 goals in the 2023 season, Brazil forward Rafaelson has took his goalscoring exploits to the next level in the previous season. The 27-year-old sharpshooter bagged 31 goals, almost doubling his tally from the previous season and breaking the record for the most goals scored in a single top-flight Vietnamese campaign. He also became the second player in history to score five goals in a V.League match, netting all of his side’s goals in a a 5-2 win against Thanh Hoa FC.
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