Month: September 2021
The Lion City Sailors welcome three additions to the club’s growing backroom crew, as the club looks to continue to strengthen existing capabilities beyond the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
The trio come with football pedigree from across Asia and Europe.
South Koreans Myung Jae Yong and Kim Young Kwang join from Ulsan Hyundai as Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) winners, joining countryman Kim Do-hoon, the recently appointed Sailors Head Coach who was the chief architect of Ulsan’s 2020 ACL triumph.
Myung will take on the role of Assistant Coach, while Kim Young Kwang is a Video Analyst.
Firdaus Maasar, the third addition to the Sailors’ crew, cut his teeth in English football, providing sports science support to English Premier League giants Liverpool, as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town. He then served as a Football Physiologist at Qatar’s Aspire Academy – one of only three top-rated (three-star) AFC Elite Youth Academies in Asia – before signing up to the Sailors’ project, as the club’s Physiologist.
The Lion City Sailors Football Academy is a one-star AFC Elite Youth Academy, the only AFC-accredited academy in Singapore.
The Sailors take on Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening (12 Sep), and the trio will join the fray immediately, to provide a boost in Kim’s men push for the club’s first ever SPL title in the final five games of the season.
The Sailors are five points adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S) with a game in hand. And with the White Swans hosting Geylang International on Saturday, 24 hours before the Sailors face Young Lions on Sunday, the gap could potentially grow larger before the Sailors next take to the field.
Myung is looking forward to the christening.
“The Sailors project is wildly exciting, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help build something as ambitious as this,” said the man who won the Korean FA Cup as a player and as a coach.
“I’m excited to work with Coach Kim again, and believe that together we can bring on-field improvements and success to the Sailors as we’ve done in the past.”
Fellow South Korean Kim Young Kwang is no stranger to Singapore football – he was a forward with SPL side Balestier Khalsa in 2011, scoring 8 goals in his solitary season here – and he’s looking forward to achieving success in Singapore.
“I have many good memories of Singapore and the league, and I’m very happy to be presented with another chance to win something here, even if I cannot help on the pitch any more,” said the 34-year-old.
“These last five games are important for us and our aim of winning a trophy this season, but my work goes beyond that, to helping the club raise levels in the long run.”
Firdaus still gets teased about the photograph of him on the job at Liverpool with Egyptian star Mo Salah, and he hopes that his work with the Sailors can inspire a similar reaction in the future, especially with the club’s philosophy of excellence already in place.
“The experience of giving sport science support to English Premier League teams was invaluable, and not just because I had the opportunity to work with top-level footballers in a world class environment, but also because I had to step up to match the level of excellence required of every single person in the organisation,” said the 35-year-old.
“I see a very similar approach here at the Sailors, and I’m excited to be able to bring my experience to help establish a similar system here.”
LCS Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang is similarly excited, looking forward to what the trio will bring to the table, in the Sailors’ quest for football excellence in Singapore.
“It’s important that we continue to attract top level talent to the club as we aspire to success both on and off the field. These talents we bring in are not just to drive success at the Sailors, but also to help us build and grow local talents and capabilities in their respective areas as we aim to spark a change in Singapore football,” said Chun-Liang.
“All three of them bring different skills with them, and we are confident that in the long run, they will contribute greatly to our cause. What we’re crossing our fingers on, is that they will have an immediate impact, and help drive us to the SPL title this season”
Mdm Andriani will be the proudest person amongst the attendees at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening when the Lion City Sailors take on Young Lions in a crucial Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash.
Of course she would, both her sons are set to line up on opposing sides of the pitch, with Haiqal Pashia featuring for the Sailors while the younger Rezza Rezky plays for the Young Lions.
Born almost two years apart, the siblings have played alongside each other in the 2019 SPL season with Young Lions and also featured together for the Singapore Under-22s in the Merlion Cup in the same year.
This will be their first time playing against each other at the professional level, after a missed opportunity in May when the two sides last met. On that occasion, the Sailors eked out a 1-0 win courtesy of a Shahdan Sulaiman free-kick, but Pashia was pulled off on the 58th minute mark before Rezza came on during the dying moments of the game.
While he is looking forward to a competitive duel against his younger brother, Pashia empathises with his parents who are finding it hard to choose allegiances for this one.
“The only time we played against each other was probably during social football!” chuckled the 22-year-old. “It’s going to be rather weird for my family – usually my mum and close friends will be at the stadium whenever I play, while my dad usually watches from home.
“I’m really looking forward to playing against him. Obviously I want to help my team win the title but I also want him to show his abilities at the same time. All I can say is may the best team win.”
The middle child of three boys, Pashia grew up in a football-obsessed household with his elder brother Refi Raditya, also a fanatic of the beautiful game despite not making it to the top.
Pashia and Rezza did, earning spots in the various national age-group squads, then eventually entering the professional game here.
While the duo enjoy a close relationship, sharing both on-pitch and life issues with each other, there is also a healthy sibling rivalry with both looking to push each other to greater heights in their football careers.
“We’re always somehow competing with each other – one thing we always talk about is who’s going to be the first one to earn a Singapore cap?” shared Pashia. “We used to be quite harsh with each other when we were teammates and we often pointed out each other’s mistakes on the field, but it was always all good when we stepped off it.
“It’s actually good to have a brother who is as competitive as I am because it drives me to be better, and we are ultimately working towards the same goals. We both want to go far and our target is to play for the national team together in the future.”
Pashia feels a tinge of sadness that he and Rezza no longer train then go home together since his move to the Sailors in 2020, but is proud that his brother is now charting a path of his own.
20-year-old Rezza has been a consistent starter in the Young Lions’ engine room in recent games, while Pashia is also a first-team regular for the Sailors now.
“I guess that’s the process of growing up where we can’t always be together,” he said. “It’s not easy for him juggling NS (National Service) and football at the moment, so I’m really proud to see him performing well and getting regular minutes in the SPL.
“My family is incredibly proud to see both of us getting to where we’re at right now, especially after all the work we’ve put in since we were young.”
For 90 minutes on Sunday though, Pashia will set sentiment aside as he looks to get the Sailors back to winning ways against a dangerous Young Lions side.
While the Sailors have won all four encounters between the sides since their 2020 inception, Philippe Aw’s boys will likely pose a stiffer test this time – the Young Lions have won three out of their last five games.
A frustrating 1-1 draw against Hougang United two weeks ago left Kim Do-hoon’s charges five points adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S), and with the White Swans hosting Geylang International on Saturday, 24 hours before the Sailors face Young Lions on Sunday, the gap could potentially grow larger before the Sailors next take to the field.
During the international break, the Sailors have been hard at work, fine-tuning their attacking moves, and Pashia hopes that will pay off these last five games of the season.
“We’ve been doing a lot of crossing and finishing, and that’s perfect: now’s the time to produce the goods in games,” he emphasised.
“There’re still some tough games to come, against Albirex and Tampines Rovers, but that’s what we have to overcome if we want to win the title. We just have to forget that draw against Hougang and keep our focus to win every remaining game.”
Picture the scene: 80,000-odd raucous home fans at Jakarta’s majestic Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, cheering rabidly for their club in a do-or-die fixture.
Imagine the passion. The fervour. The vibrancy. The electric energy coursing through the stadium as the fanatical partisan crowd tries their best to will the home team to victory.
And, if you were part of the opposing team, the intimidation.
This was exactly the atmosphere that greeted Lion City Sailors’ Senior Executive of Operations, Nur Shuhadah Bte Sinwan in 2018. She travelled with Home United – the previous incarnation of the Sailors – to Indonesia, for their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup ASEAN Zonal semi-final clash against Persija Jakarta.
That match ended 3-1 in Home United’s favour and now is simply a footnote in the Protectors’ ultimately successful AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal campaign. But to Shuhadah – or Shu, as she is more commonly known – it remains one of the most enthralling football experiences she has ever had.
As part of the travelling contingent, Shu was seated in the zone demarcated for away fans but she was still able to witness first-hand how simultaneously imposing and inspiring fan support can be.
“Although I was standing in the away zone, it was surrounded by the home fans, and they were unlike most other supporters that I’ve encountered before,” Shu recalled. “They’re so lively, energetic and vocal! You could hear their cheers and chants echoing around the stadium, and it had a noticeable effect on the spirit of the team. The atmosphere was incredible, and it was a real eye-opener for me.”
Shu now hopes to one day be able to witness a similar level of support for Singapore football – a scenario the Sailors aim to help create.
Since their privatisation in 2020, the Sailors have made significant moves, both on and off the pitch, to gear themselves towards becoming one of the top footballing teams in the nation and the region.
Shu is hopeful that if the Sailors achieve that lofty target, football fans in the country will return to supporting the local game.
“I wish to be able to experience that sort of atmosphere here in Singapore,” said Shu. “Fans need to have more faith in local clubs and come support us. If they start watching our matches, they’ll realise there really is a lot of quality in local football.
“Hopefully the Sailors, especially if we become successful, will be able to attract more fans to pay attention to Singapore football.”
Shu, however, knows full well that the majority of football fans in the country still prefer watching European leagues, such as the English Premier League (EPL).
After all, she grew up in a family that followed the EPL closely – her father, along with one of her brothers, are Liverpool fans, while her other three brothers support Chelsea, Newcastle United and Arsenal.
Shu herself grew up supporting Manchester United, although she was not as “avid a fan” as the rest of her family.
Nonetheless, some of Shu’s fondest memories in football come from watching live Singapore Premier League (SPL) – then known as the S.League – matches, as well as being part of the home support for both the National Team and LionsXII games.
The LionsXII were a Singapore team that took part in Malaysian football competitions from 2012 to 2015.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching the Lions play,” said Shu. “When I was younger, I was a Woodlands (Wellington) supporter, and then later on, I also followed the LionsXII and went to a few of their games. It was fun being part of the support, and I had a good time at every match I went to.”
Shu is now supporting local football in a different – a more proactive – way.
As the person in charge of managing operations at the Sailors, Shu has to ensure that the club adheres to the guidelines set out by either the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) or AFC, especially on matchdays.
Part of her job also includes arranging for, and managing, the security, medical, and ticketing aspects of operations at Sailors matches.
Indeed, a lapse by Shu could potentially even lead to a match having to be abandoned – such is the importance of her role at the club – although that has thankfully never occurred before.
Shu admits she puts a lot of “pressure” on herself to do her job well, as she explained: “We can get fined and punished if something goes wrong on my end. So, there is that pressure on me to ensure that everything goes according to the regulations.
However, Shu, who joined the club nearly four years ago, insists that the hard work she puts into her job is rewarded whenever the team achieves success on the pitch.
“Yes, it can be tiring and I am sometimes pushed to my limits. But what keeps me going are our victories and successes,” Shu shared.
“At the Sailors, everyone is expected to give their 100 percent. When it comes to operations and support, I give my all, and at the same time, the team is also expected to do their best whenever they are on the pitch.
“So, whenever the players win a match, I feel that our hard work has also paid off. It’s a team game, after all, and every one of us at the club has a role to play in bringing us to the top.”
There are many challenges that Shu faces in her current role, but none more unique than what she terms as having an “unapproachable” look.
Shu, who could not help but laugh as she elaborated the point, said: “I have this face that can seem unapproachable, so people are scared of coming to talk to me. Sometimes the younger players from the team, or third-party vendors who aren’t familiar with me, will try to avoid me.
“But I’m actually really friendly la! Once you talk to me, you’ll realise I’m very easy-going. Although maybe it’s a gender thing as well – as it’s a male-dominated industry, having to interact with someone of the opposite sex can make some of them feel uncomfortable,” she added.
Having seen first-hand how the club has evolved over the years, Shu, who lists playing mobile games and cycling among her hobbies, believes the Sailors are moving in the right direction.
“The Sailors are goal oriented and hungry for success. It’s not that Home United back then weren’t ambitious as well, but it’s just that there is more for the Sailors to prove with all the investment that has been put into the club,” mused Shu.
“The club is determined to show that the path they have taken is the right one. To do that, we need to achieve something to show that we are serious about our ambitions.
“You can see that everyone, both players and non-playing staff alike, are working extremely hard to pull the club towards the top. We are all bonded by that common goal…everyone is doing their part, and we are all confident that the team will be able to win silverware soon.”
Eleven Sailors’ Women in Lioness squad
The Singapore National Women’s team has come together to prepare for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, with coach Stephen Ng calling up a 23-strong Lioness squad that features 11 players from the Lion City Sailors’ Women’s team (Photo above courtesy of the Football Association of Singapore).
The Lionesses face a unique challenge, taking on Indonesia in Group C over two matches – scheduled for 24 and 27 September – in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with the team that amasses the most points from these fixtures earning a spot in the tournament proper in India next year.
This is the result of the other two teams in Group C – DPR Korea and Iraq – withdrawing from the competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If both Singapore and Indonesia are level on points after the 27 Sept fixture, they will undergo a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
“The Sailors’ women’s team managed to maintain our thrice a week training schedule throughout the past two years despite the pandemic restrictions that were placed on all teams, and our players are physically well prepared,” said Yeong Sheau Shyan, head coach of the Sailors’ women.
“We’ve also focused on individual skills in tight areas so our players are more confident in 1v1s and crowded areas,” added Sheau Shyan who is also on national duty as an assistant coach of the Lionesses.
She revealed that the Lionesses have not had any international encounters for almost two years now, and it will be hard to predict what sort of team Indonesia will put out, and how they will play.
“We expect them to be tough opponents, but on our part we have put in a lot of work. We have trained five times a week since June – in a training bubble – to make sure we are as prepared as we can be,” said Sheau Shyan.
Sailors’ Lionesses: Beatrice Tan, Ernie Sulastri, Nur Syazwani Ruzi, Nur Umairah Hamdan, Dorcas Chu, Ho Hui Xin, Venetia Lim, Nur Izzati Rosni, Sara Merican, Lila Tan, Danelle Tan
Barely a week after attaining his Singapore citizenship earlier this month, Song Ui-Young received his first call-up to the Singapore National Team for a series of training sessions during the ongoing FIFA international window.
It was a dream come true for the 27-year-old, who first stepped foot in Singapore nearly 10 years ago as a wide-eyed teenager who was simply hoping to establish his career as a professional footballer here.
Now, Song is chomping at the bit to repay the faith that the country has shown – on the pitch as a Lion – but is simply lapping up every bit of his first sessions as a Lion-in-waiting.
It was like being a young footballer all over again.
“I was honestly nervous the night before my first training session. I kept tossing and turning on the bed, and found it hard to get to sleep!” he admitted. “But when I finally stepped onto the pitch, I felt right at home. Everyone, from my teammates to the staff, to coach Tatsuma Yoshida has been wonderful to me since day one.”
Song joins fellow Sailors Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Tajeli Salamat, Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Hafiz Nor, Gabriel Quak and Faris Ramli in Yoshida’s squad that was released by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on 26 August.
“They all gave me a very warm welcome to the team, which I really appreciated. They’re all great to work with, and I’ve really been enjoying myself so far,” added the Sailors midfielder.
It wasn’t until around 2015 that Song, having by then formed a deep affinity and connection to Singapore, first began thinking about the possibility of donning the Lions jersey.
With that goal in mind, Song embarked on the long – and at times, arduous – process of applying for Singapore citizenship.
The rest, as they say, is history.
And Song is now focused on writing a new chapter of his career – and life – and enjoying the challenges of the process.
“I’m still trying to understand and get up to speed with coach Tatsuma’s playing philosophy and tactics. It will take some time, but I’m doing my best to try and get myself familiar with how he wants us to play,” said Song. “But I’ve learnt a lot of new things from coach Tatsuma, which is great, because this means that I’m improving as a player”
Song has set his sights on the next target of his budding international career: winning the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship – now known as the Suzuki Cup – with Singapore.
“If I can help to win the (Suzuki Cup) tournament for my country, I will be happier than anyone else!” said Song, who is the first footballer from South Korea to be granted Singapore citizenship.
“It’s a big honour to get called up for the National Team, and I will work hard and do my best to show what I can do. Hopefully, that will be enough for coach (Tatsuma) to select me for the Suzuki Cup at the end of the year.”
Song, however, knows that the competition to break into the Lions first-team will be fierce, especially with stalwarts such as his Sailors teammates Hariss Harun and Shahdan Sulaiman having already established themselves as key members of Singapore’s midfield.
“I want to be at the top of my game so that I can help the Lions in the best way I can.” he said.
Nonetheless, Song believes that the strong understanding he has formed with Hariss and Shahdan at club level will stand him in good stead, and more importantly, benefit the Lions as they look to win their fifth AFF Championship this year.
Song, who has scored three goals so far this season, explained: “I have been playing with many of the National Team players for a long time, so there won’t be any problems working together with them. The understanding and connection between all of us is strong, and we believe in one another.
“The great thing is that I believe we have a group of talented players in the Lions squad. All of these players have different strengths, and are committed professionals, so I am confident that we can do well as a team.”
The last time Singapore won the AFF Championship was in 2012 – coincidentally, the same year that Song first came to Singapore.
While admitting that it will not be easy for Singapore to see off the likes of Vietnam and Thailand to become champions of Southeast Asia, Song is confident that the Lions have the talent within their ranks to go all the way in the competition.
And Song himself is determined to do all he can to bring glory to Singapore – as a way of thanking the country and his supporters for believing in him.
“I’m so grateful to have received a lot of support from football fans in Singapore over the years, and I’m determined to repay them for their belief in me by working hard and playing well for the Lions,” Song declared.
“Now, what I’m looking forward to the most next is playing my first match for Singapore, in front of the fans – I’m sure that will be such an exciting experience, and I can’t wait to perform on the pitch for them!” he added.
“The experience overall has been an absolute dream for me. Wearing the Singapore jersey feels especially amazing, and it gives me that extra motivation to work harder every day in training.”
