Singapore's Lion City Sailors fall to UAE side Sharjah, miss out on AFC Champions League Two title

SINGAPORE: The Lion City Sailors' fairytale voyage came to an end on Sunday (May 18) after they lost to United Arab Emirates side Sharjah in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) final.

Sharjah won the game 2-1 at a packed Bishan Stadium, with a goal from Marcus Meloni sealing the win.

Firas Ben Larbi had earlier put the UAE side ahead before the Sailors' Maxime Lestienne levelled the tie in injury time.

The Sailors had overcome considerable odds and several top sides, such as Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Australia's Sydney FC, to reach the final.

They were crowned Singapore Premier League champions on Saturday and can still complete a domestic double should they lift the Singapore Cup, where they are slated to face Brunei DPMM in the semi-finals.

Sharjah are second in the UAE Pro League. They beat Saudi Pro League side Al-Taawoun 2-1 on aggregate to book their spot in Sunday's decider.

Prior to the final, Sharjah had expressed reservations about the decider being hosted at the Jalan Besar Stadium, claiming that it "does not meet the aspirations of the fans and stakeholders".

The 55,000-seater National Stadium was ruled out as a venue as it had been booked well in advance for Lady Gaga's Lion City Mayhem concerts on May 18, 19, 21 and 24.

This meant that the final was played at Bishan Stadium with improvements undertaken such as the building of three new stands to increase its capacity by more than three times to accommodate about 10,000 spectators.  

The Sailors booked their place in the final after beating Australia's Sydney FC 2-1 over two legs. In the quarters, the Singaporean side beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 4-1 on aggregate.

All seemed lost for the Sailors after they lost to the Japanese giants in the first leg of the