Nam Dịnh FC seek to maintain perfect run in for spot in Shopee Cup™ semi-finals

Nam Định FC will look to secure their 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 eye progress to the semi-finals.

Nam Định are the only team with a perfect record in the competition having won all three of their group phase matches to date and victory over the Singapore Premier League side would guarantee a top two finish in the standings for the Vietnamese outfit.

Mauro Jerónimo’s squad have 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. Nguyễn Xuân Son, who returned to action recently following a lengthy injury spell, has played a pivotal role by scoring five goals in Nam Định’s last two matches.

“At present Nam Định are 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 Nguyễn Văn Toàn. “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 Công An Hà Nội 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 Xuân Son.

Buriram United are currently fifth in the standings and are still looking for their first win in the 2025/26 edition having drawn all three of their opening Group A matches. Anything other than victory would leave the Thai League 1 champions in danger of elimination.

Selangor, meanwhile, host fourth-placed Công An Hà Nội 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.

The Shopee Cup™ 2025/26 Matchday 4 fixtures are as follows:

WHERE TO WATCH THE SHOPEE CUP™

Shopee Cup™ Season 2025/26 matches will be broadcast LIVE on the domestic television networks and streaming platforms listed below:

Shopee Cup™ matches will also be aired in South Korea on SPOTV, on @aseanutdfc / Facebook and YouTube in select ASEAN territories and worldwide.

Match tickets are available for sale at each home club’s stadium box office and official websites.

For Shopee Cup™ news and other information, please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/asean-club-championship and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.

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