SINGAPORE/HANOI: Nam Dinh FC will look to secure its place in the knockout rounds of the 2025/26 Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup on Thursday when the V.League 1 champions host Lion City Sailors FC in Group B, as Tampines Rovers FC also eyes progress to the semi-finals.
Nam Dinh is the only team with a perfect record in the competition, having won all three of its group phase matches to date, and a victory over the Singapore Premier League side would guarantee a top-two finish in the standings for the Vietnamese outfit.
Mauro Jeronimo’s squad has already notched up wins over PKR Svay Rieng FC, Shan United FC, and Bangkok United FC, and a fourth victory would open up an unassailable advantage over the chasing pack.
Nguyen Xuan Son, who returned to action recently following a lengthy injury spell, has played a pivotal role by scoring five goals in Nam Dinh’s last two matches.
“At present Nam Dinh is at the top of the group, and there is no reason for us not to set our sights on reaching the semi-finals,” says forward Nguyen Van Toan. “The team has a very strong opportunity to progress, especially with two home matches still to play.
“Qualifying for the semi-finals would be an important milestone, representing a major step forward in our journey at the Shopee Cup. The entire team understands that reaching the knockout stage is a must, and everyone is fully committed to achieving that objective.”
Second-placed Johor Darul Ta’zim FC could also move a step closer to the next phase of the competition with victory at home over Myanmar’s Shan United, who have yet to pick up a point in their first three appearances in the current edition of the competition.
Group A leaders Tampines Rovers would advance to the next round with a win over defending champions Buriram United FC in Singapore if both BG Pathum United FC and last season’s runners-up Cong An Hanoi FC fail to win their matches on Wednesday.
Tampines Rovers sit on six points from three matches and hold a one-point lead at the summit over Malaysia Super League side Selangor FC ahead of a mouth-watering clash against Mark Jackson’s side at Jalan Besar Stadium.
Forward Hide Higashikawa has contributed five goals for Tampines Rovers to sit as the joint-top scorer of the competition with Xuan Son.
Buriram United is currently fifth in the standings and is still looking for its first win in the 2025/26 edition, having drawn all three of its opening Group A matches. Anything other than victory would leave the Thai League 1 champions in danger of elimination.
Selangor, meanwhile, hosts fourth-placed Hanoi in coach Kim Pan-gon’s first match in the competition since taking over as the long-term replacement for Katsuhito Kinoshi in January.
Third-placed BG Pathum United FC will entertain DH Cebu FC in Pathum Thani, with the side from the Philippines seeking to build on their 1-1 draw with Selangor on Matchday Three, with that result earning the club their first point of this season’s competition.
The top two finishers in each of the six-team groups will advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on a home-and-away basis on May 6 and 13, with the final to be held on May 20 and 27.
SHOPEE CUP MATCHDAY 4
WEDNESDAY (JANUARY 28)
TAMPINES ROVERS FC (SIN) v BURIRAM UNITED FC (THA), Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
BG PATHUM UNITED FC (THA) v DH CEBU FC (PHI), Pathum Thani Stadium, Pathum Thani
SELANGOR FC (MAS) v CONG AN HANOI FC (VIE), MBPJ Stadium, Selangor
THURSDAY (JANUARY 29)
JOHOR DARUL TA'ZIM FC (MAS) v SHAN UNITED FC (MYA), Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Johor
NAM DINH FC (VIE) v LION CITY SAILORS FC (SIN), Thien Truong Stadium, Ninh Binh
