The 2024 tournament champions Buriram United from Thailand. - Photo courtesy of SPORTFIVE
SINGAPORE: Malaysian treble winners Johor Darul Ta’zim FC will make its Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup debut on Thursday (Aug 21) against Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors in a tantalising Causeway clash.
In another top clash, champions Buriram United from Thailand open its defence of the title against Selangor FC on Wednesday (Aug 20) when the 2025/26 Group Stage kicks off this week.
JDT, the dominant force in Malaysian football for more than a decade, will host a Lion City Sailors side looking for an improved performance in the Shopee Cup after going out in the Group Stage last season, but face a challenging start to its campaign in Group B against the Xisco Muñoz-coached outfit.
After claiming the domestic treble for the third year in a row when the club lifted the Malaysia Super League, Malaysia FA Cup and Malaysia Cup last season, JDT will now look to translate that domestic dominance into regional success in the Shopee Cup.
JDT launched the defence of its Malaysia Super League title with back-to-back wins over Selangor and Negri Sembilan earlier this month to underline the club's status as one of the teams to beat in this year’s Shopee Cup while Lion City go into the opener off the back of a surprise 4-1 loss to Tampines Rovers FC in the Singapore Community Shield.
Thursday’s (Aug 20) other Group B fixture will see Shan United FC welcome Cambodian Premier League champions PKR Svay Rieng FC to Myanmar for its second Shopee Cup meeting in six months, following Svay Rieng’s 4-2 win in Phnom Penh in last season’s Group Stage.
The second edition of the annual competition to decide Asean’s top club will feature 10 national league champions and Cup winners from across South-East Asia, drawn into two groups, with each club playing five home or away matches in the Group Stage.
The line-up for the Group Stage was finalised last Friday when Philippines Football League winners DH Cebu FC beat Brunei Super League champions Kasuka FC 4-2 on aggregate and Myanmar National League champions Shan United FC overcame Lao League 1 champions Ezra FC 3-1 on aggregate in the Qualifying Round Play-Offs.
Group A is headlined by Buriram United, who made history in May by becoming the first club to be crowned Asean Club Champions after a thrilling Shopee Cup final against Cong An Hanoi FC of Vietnam, which the club won in a penalty shoot-out after a 5-5 aggregate draw.
After also sweeping all three Thai domestic competitions last season, Buriram kick off the defence of its title on Wednesday against Selangor, who is making its debut in the competition after finishing runners-up to JDT in the Malaysia Super League and FA Cup last season.
Vietnamese National Cup winners and last season’s Shopee Cup runners-up Cong An Hanoi will travel to Thailand to face 2024/25 semi-finalists BG Pathum United in Group A, while tournament newcomers Cebu host Tampines Rovers, who were runners-up to Lion City Sailors in the Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup.
The remaining Group B clash between Thai Premier League runners-up Bangkok United FC and V League 1 champions Nam Dinh FC has been postponed and will be played in Thailand on December 17.
The 2025 Asean Club Championships Shopee Cup
GROUP A: Buriram United (Thailand); Selangor FC (Malaysia); Cong An Hanoi (Vietnam); BG Pathum United (Thailand), DH Cebu FC (Philippines); Tampines Rovers (Singapore).
GROUP B: Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (Malaysia); Lion City Sailors (Singapore); Bangkok United FC (Thailand); Nam Dinh FC (Vietnam), Shan United FC (Myanmar); PKR Svay Rieng FC (Cambodia).
