SINGAPORE -- Having made a remarkable run to the final of the AFC Champions League Two decider, there were immediately doubts over whether Lion City Sailors would be able to host the showpiece event on May 18 -- as is their right as the East region's finalists this season.
With Jalan Besar Stadium -- the Sailors' home throughout the campaign -- deemed unsuitable for the final by the Asian Football Confederation, the need for an alternative venue arose.
This came after United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, the West region's finalists, voiced their disapproval over Jalan Besar, officially stating that the venue is "not suitable" and "does not meet the aspirations of the fans and stakeholders".
Singapore's 55,000-capacity National Stadium would have been an easy solution but will be unavailable given it has already been booked for a Lady Gaga concert.
With the majority of stadiums in Singapore almost certain to fall short of AFC requirements considering they fall short of Jalan Besar, Bishan Stadium quickly emerged as the last remaining hope.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Bishan had been granted "provisional approval" by the AFC, pending a "final inspection and formal approval" in early May.
The Sailors, who will receive support from the Football Association of Singapore and statutory board Sport Singapore, now face a race against time to complete all necessary upgrades.
But just what exactly are these likely to be?
Capacity
With just one permanent stand, Bishan is believed to be able to host approximately 2,800 spectators.
ESPN understands three temporary structures on the three remaining sides of the pitch will now be erected to get that figure in the 10,000 region.
It is also believed that the 10,000 figure is not, in itself, a minimum requirement but there are specific mandatory requirements for groups such as VVIPs, VIPs and media.
Such short-term expansions are not unfamiliar.
Singapore Premier League venues, dating back to when the competition was known as the S.League, have often employed the use of temporary structures -- either behind the goals or along the length of the field -- with Toa Payoh Stadium, Hougang Stadium and Queenstown Stadium some examples.
Nonetheless, those were often rudimentary structures and, sometimes, without designated seats.
It is likely that, for the ACL Two final, Bishan will need more sophisticated upgrades -- akin to the King George's Stand that increased Jalan Besar's capacity by approximately 1,500 during the days of the now-defunct LionsXII competing in the Malaysia Super League.
Working spaces
When Home United, the club that was bought over to give birth to the Sailors, were headquartered at Bishan, they had a working space that was comfortable but hardly expansive -- a handful of small offices and a modest meeting room that doubled up as a news conference area.
The neighbouring sport centre could be utilised, as was the case when Singapore previously hosted events such as the 2015 Southeast Asian Games with a gymnasium converted into a de facto media centre.
There will still be a need for space to accommodate various working groups such as the organising committees and secretariat, which Bishan is unlikely to be able to at present.
In addition to seating capacity, temporary office structures are also expected to be required.
Lighting
One of the factors believed to have been behind Jalan Besar's unsuitability to host the final is down to the AFC's floodlight regulations.
According to the organisation's stadium regulations from 2021, there are different lighting categories depending on the magnitude of the occasion.
Although the AFC's competition structure has undergone a revamp since, like-for-like comparisons can be made.
Then, the AFC Cup (now ACL Two) fell under 'Category 4' with the exception of the final, which boasted the higher 'Category 3' requirements.
This would explain why Jalan Besar could host all of the Sailors' previous games in the competition but faced resistance for the upcoming decider.
Should these requirements remain unchanged, 'Category 3' would require Bishan to have a horizontal illuminance of "1,800 lux with uniformity ratios of U1h>0.5 and U2h>0.7", and a vertical illuminance of "1,000 lux on each reference plane with uniformity ratios of U1v>0.4 and U2v>0.5".
It is understood that Bishan currently does not meet such requirements and, hence, lighting will be one of the necessary upgrades.
Pitch
Considering one of Sharjah's main concerns with Jalan Besar was its artificial pitch, they might have one less gripe now given Bishan's natural playing surface.
Nonetheless, ESPN understands that the AFC's initial assessment of the Bishan pitch was unsatisfactory.
Singapore's climate has historically been a challenge to maintaining high-qualify natural pitches, especially during rainy spells when playing surfaces can often get waterlogged.
It remains to be seen what will be done to enhance the Bishan pitch, although a previous fix to turf issues at National Stadium came in the form of a "lay and play" solution.
This operation involves installing grass, primarily natural with a percentage of synthetic fibres, that has been grown elsewhere that can then be used almost immediately.
Such a method is useful in the event only a particular area of the pitch has been worn out or requires immediate repair, without needing work done on the rest of the playing area.
In the case of National Stadium, 8,000 square metres of pitch was said to have been able to be transported from the nursery to the venue within 48 hours.