SINGAPORE (15 September 2026) – The Group Stage line-up for the 2026/27 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ was completed on Monday when Myanmar’s Shan United FC defeated Ezra FC to join Manila Digger FC from the Philippines in advancing to the next phase.
Shan United defeated the Lao League 1 champions 3-2 on penalties after their two-legged clash ended in a 3-3 draw with Thet Wai Moe scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time in the second leg in Yangon for the 10-man hosts.
Ezra had won 3-2 in the first leg and Mark Sekyi’s sending off in the first half had given the Laotian side the advantage before the late goal took the match into extra-time and to penalties, where Edson Dos Santos scored the winning spot-kick.
The Group Stage has been expanded from 12 to 14 teams for the 2026/27 edition of the regional club championship with the first four finishers in each of the two seven-club groups advancing to the newly-installed quarter-final round.
Manila Digger will join champions Buriram United FC and Thai League 1 side Ratchaburi FC in Group A alongside Malaysia’s Kuching City FC, Tampines Rovers FC from Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City Police FC of Vietnam and Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda.
Shan United, meanwhile, will play in Group B alongside Thailand’s Port FC, Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, Lion City Sailors FC of Singapore, Indonesia’s Persib Bandung, Công An Hà Nội FC from Vietnam and PKR Svay Rieng FC from Cambodia.
Manila Digger confirmed their progress to the Group Stage for the first time when a 4-1 win in Bandar Seri Begawan on Saturday completed a 9-2 aggregate win over Kasuka FC from Brunei Darussalam.
Joan Esteva’s side had eased to a 5-1 victory on home soil on September 4 and a hat-trick in the return fixture from Man of the Match Saikou Ceesay, who was also on target in the first leg, confirmed his side would play in Group A of the 2026/27 Shopee Cup™
“I think the team is growing because, since pre-season until now, we’re improving,” Ceesay said after the second leg. “Everything is going smoothly. We expected something like this would happen.”
The 2026/27 Shopee Cup™ Group Stage begins on October 7 when Buriram United, winners of the first two editions, launch the defence of the trophy against Borneo FC Samarinda while Ratchaburi host Ho Chi Minh City Police and Kuching City take on Tampines Rovers.
Manila Digger will open their Group Stage campaign against Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda on November 18 while Shan United kick-off their challenge against Persib Bandung a day later.
Man of the Match: Kyaw Zin Phyo (#18), Shan United FC
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Wednesday, October 7, Group A
Buriram United FC (THA) v Borneo FC Samarinda (IDN), Buriram Stadium, Buriram, 7pm (local time) / 12pm (GMT)
Ratchaburi FC (THA) v Ho Chi Minh City Police FC (VIE), Ratchaburi Stadium, Ratchaburi, 7pm (local time) / 12pm (GMT)
Kuching City FC (MAS) v Tampines Rovers FC (SGP), Stadium Negeri, Sarawak, 9pm (local time) / 1pm (GMT)
Thursday, October 8, Group B
Port FC (THA) v Persib Bandung (IDN), Thammasat Stadium, Bangkok, 7pm (local time) / 12pm (GMT)
Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (MAS) v Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC (CAM), Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Johor, 8pm (local time) / 12pm (GMT)
Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) v Công An Hà Nội FC (VIE), Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore, 7.30pm (local time) / 11.30am (GMT)
For the ASEAN Shopee Cup™ news and other information, please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/asean-club-championship and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
