Month: August 2023
Five players from the Lion City Sailors are in line to represent the Singapore Under-22s at the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers, scheduled to take place in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi between 6 and 12 September 2023.
Sailors first-teamers Nur Adam Abdullah, Bill Mamadou and Abdul Rasaq Akeem retain their places in the squad, while two trainees from the Sailors Academy – Nur Muhammad Asis Ijilrali and Kieran Aryan – are handed their first call-ups at the U22 level.
The quintet are part of Nazri Nasir’s 26-man provisional squad that was confirmed by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Saturday (19 August) afternoon.
The Singapore U22s will first embark on a centralised training camp in Bangkok, Thailand, from 23 August to 2 September, before the squad will be trimmed to 23 for the qualifying campaign proper.
Nazri’s side will take on Yemen on 6 Sept and face Guam three days later, before ending their Group C campaign against group hosts Vietnam on 12 Sept.
The eleven group winners and the four best runners-up qualify for the final tournament, to be held next year between 15 April and 3 May in Qatar.
Asis and Kieran have been impressive for the Sailors Under-21 side that is currently third in the FAS Centre of Excellence (COE) U21 league after 12 matches. The pair have also started to make inroads into the Sailors first-team.
Asis came off the bench to make his Singapore Premier League (SPL) debut in a 7-1 win over Tanjong Pagar at the start of July and has made a total of three substitute appearances under Aleksandar Ranković so far.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder admitted the call came as a surprise, but is determined to make the most of this opportunity to play at the U22 level.
“I’m most excited about the prospect of coming up against higher-level opponents, this can only help my football development at the age of 19,” said Asis, who last represented Singapore at the U19 level in last year’s ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U19 Championship and AFC U20 Qualifiers.
“I’m happy that Kieran and I got called up, and I hope this can inspire our other U21 teammates to perform well and also be called up in the near future. I hope to do well in the upcoming training camp in Thailand and secure a spot in the final 23,” he added.
While Kieran has yet to make his SPL bow, he has been included in the first team’s matchday squad three times thus far, and the 20-year-old full-back is looking to make a good impression.
“Obviously it’s a huge honour to be called up to play for the country. Thanks to all my coaches that have believed in and trusted me, I’ve been playing regularly for our U21s this season and I feel I’ve improved a lot in terms of maturity and decision-making,” said Kieran, who rose through the Sailors ranks like Asis did and has been with the Academy since 2020.
“Getting the call-up is just the first step, I need to keep giving my best in training and matches to ensure I get picked for the final squad and also get more call-ups in the future.”
The Lion City Sailors Women’s Team have moved to strengthen their backline with the signing of Sara Hayduchok from fellow Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) side Tampines Rovers.
The 28-year-old Filipino-American centre-back is the Sailors’ first signing of the WPL mid-season transfer window, as Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan swooped to get cover for a backline that has conceded just a solitary goal in 10 games this season.
“We’re going into the second round of the season a bit short of depth in central defence: Fatin (Aqillah) is out for the year due to an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury and Natasha (Naszri) is leaving in September for her scholarship (with ESC LaLiga Academy) in Spain,” explained the 45-year-old.
“Sara is a powerful defender who reads the game well and attacks the ball with a lot of pace and accuracy. She was originally a central midfielder, so she possesses the ability to bring the ball up into midfield for us and I think she will fit into this team seamlessly.”
Sara featured regularly for WPL debutants Tampines in the first half of the season and enjoyed her stint with the Stags, but the opportunity to be embedded in an established setup like the Sailors was one that proved too hard to turn down.
“I spent some time deciding over this move, but I knew this was one that I had to make because I want to continue growing and improving all-round in areas like my fitness, technique and football IQ.
“I feel I can achieve my goals with the well-credentialed coaching staff and the experienced pool of players that we’ve here at the Sailors,” said Sara, who played in the USA’s top amateur league – Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) – with Philadelphia Flames SC for a couple of years before first coming to Southeast Asia in June 2022.
“I just want to thank coach Sheau Shyan for this opportunity. She’s a huge part behind this decision to join the Sailors because she’s very genuine to everyone and is someone you can really trust.”
Sara has just trained with the team for a couple of weeks, but with her serious approach on the pitch and affable nature off it, she has already struck a chord with her new teammates.
Sara came up against the Sailors earlier this year in May and the reigning WPL champions required a late goal from Paula Druschke to secure victory over the Stags.
“I remember in one of the first couple of training sessions, one of the forwards actually said this to me: “man, you marked me and really shut me down (in that game)!”. I’m not telling you who, but it was something that made both of us chuckle and warm up to each other,” said Sara, breaking into a wide smile.
“One of the things about me is that I’m really committed to this game, I take training and playing very seriously. What I’m loving about the Sailors so far is that we have this very professional setup where we take things very seriously, but at the same time the girls are also having a lot of fun and laughter alongside each other.”
Sara could make her Sailors debut against Still Aerion FC this Saturday (19 August) at Choa Chu Kang Stadium and is looking forward to helping the team retain their WPL crown, but she also already has eyes set for the long-term here.
“My target is to stay in Southeast Asia, and ideally Singapore, for the long-term. I’ve had some experience in coaching and that’s something I would like to do here as well. I want to be able to impart my experience and give more girls the opportunity to learn sports,” shared Sara.
“In the short-term, of course I’m so looking forward to this upcoming game with the Sailors. I want to do my part to not only strengthen our defence and prevent as many goals as we can, but also ideally help in the building up of phases as a team.
“It won’t be easy, but we’re setting big goals as a team and hopefully we can continue this winning streak and retain the title.”
He recalled seeing shoulders slump and heads drop, but it was understandable, the Lion City Sailors Elite Under-13 squad struggled against their Sparta Rotterdam counterparts and went down to a heavy defeat, leaving them disheartened and introspective.
Sailors’ Academy Head of Foundation Ashraf Ariffin believes that the gut-wrenching big defeat was one of the most important facets of the young Sailors’ training trip to Rotterdam, Holland earlier this year from 27 May to 11 June.
“The standard of the European trainees is above our players and our boys took some time to actually build themselves up to match their standards in a game. But even still, they couldn’t maintain that standard throughout the game,” he said.
“We lost to Sparta, but we stayed resilient, learnt from the match and came back stronger.”
The reflection that followed the loss was the catalyst for the team’s biggest achievement on the trip — an inspiring four-goal victory over the renowned PSV Eindhoven academy that was responsible for producing talents the likes of Memphis Depay, Steven Bergwijn and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo.
“All the matches that we played were above standards in Asia, so for the squad to match up and do well, was above our expectations, and the boys did great to reflect and come back to beat PSV.”
This training stint in Rotterdam was made possible, thanks to the three-year partnership between the Sailors and Feyenoord Rotterdam that was established in February 2022.
The experience saw them take on four challenging matches, securing three wins and lost just once. The Sailors team defeated K.M.S.K. Deinze and Excelsior, lost to Sparta Rotterdam before ending off with the win over PSV.
This trip was somewhat more significant because of a series of significant firsts.
“Previously when we went to Europe, we would play opponents of one age group younger, and this is the first time we competed with opposition from the same age group, this was the key difference,” said Ashraf.
“It was a good experience, and the more we play against this kind of quality opposition, the more the boys will realise that if they want to be truly elite players, this is the level they need to be working towards, nothing lower.”
Caden Nicholas Pereira, a left-back in the travelling squad, looked back fondly on his experience in Rotterdam.
“The trip has helped me improve in making quicker decisions on the pitch. And I think I’ve learned from playing against stronger and more physical players,” he said.
Teammate Izzan Rifqi, who scored nine goals out of the four games, recalled the win over PSV very clearly.
“Before the game, our coaches really motivated us and we felt like we desperately needed to win that match. And when we did win, we were all so excited in the locker room,” said Izzan.
“I will never forget that moment.”
Despite encouraging performances all around, Ashraf remained grounded in his assessment.
“Although we won some games, when we compare the players individually to European youth players of the same age, I think we are still quite far away. Our players learnt that we still need to work much harder because the standards are still quite far compared to their European counterparts,” said Ashraf.
“But if our boys play at this level on a weekly basis, I think it will make a huge difference in their development.”
More than just about football development, the trip offered a platform for a different kind of growth in the young Sailors.
“Learning to adapt to a different environment, managing their time effectively, and making decisions on their own, these young athletes flourished in being independent responsible professionals,” said the 36-year-old Ashraf, who witnessed first-hand the growing maturity in his players.
“They had to be more responsible because they were away from their parents and they learnt to carry themselves, and I must say it was nice to see that the boys were up to the task.”
Three young upstarts from the Lion City Sailors Women’s team that play in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) – Natasha Naszri, Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran, and Chloe Koh – have been granted coveted overseas scholarships as part of the Unleash The Roar! (UTR) national project.
The trio are part of the eight-strong group of inaugural scholarship awardees of the UTR! Initiative that aims to revolutionise the landscape of Singapore football.
The scholarship grants Chloe and Ardhra, both 16, the rare opportunity to spend the next three years at the esteemed IMG Academy in Florida, USA, a renowned institution known for nurturing talents across various sports.
Both of them have already departed Singapore to begin their new journeys.
Natasha, on the other hand, will leave in September to embark on a transformative journey at the ESC LaLiga Academy in Madrid, Spain for a duration of three years.
The detailed selection process for this UTR! scholarship spanned over four months, commencing with an initial shortlist of nearly 40 student-athletes, identified through preliminary assessments by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and the Singapore Sports School.
These promising talents then underwent rigorous scrutiny during training sessions and competitive matches, with this exhaustive evaluation process aimed at identifying individuals who exemplify dedication, technical ability, and a potential to make an impact in the local football scene.
A group of potential players were later chosen for a face-to-face interview with members of the UTR executive committee. This stage aimed to further explore their personal motivations, goals, and dedication to their sport. Ultimately, a special panel approved their scholarships.
For Chloe and Ardhra, this award represents more than a scholarship.
“My goal is always to land a professional contract, and the short-term goal would be to get a scholarship to a Division 1 college in America,” shared Chloe. “Playing overseas will really test my limits and push boundaries, and playing and training with better, faster and stronger players on a daily basis is going to make me a better player, and help me get closer to my goals.”
One key facet Ardhra is looking forward to, is immersing in an environment where sports is the raison d’etre.
“My aspiration is also to play for a Division 1 college in the United States and the UTR scholarship will help me with that because we will be regularly playing at a higher level of competition. Moreover, we will be in an environment where the main priority is football,” said Ardhra who is appreciative of the role the club has played in her journey in football.
“The Sailors provided the infrastructure and many opportunities for us to improve ourselves as footballers and as individuals,” added the midfielder.
Chloe’s journey has been a tad more complicated.
Following an injury during an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup match in May, Chloe, who had recently earned her debut call-up to the national U-16 team, initially feared severe damage to her left leg. Concerns of meniscus tear or anterior cruciate ligament rupture arose, and although the problem was eventually diagnosed to be in the plica (an additional band of soft tissue in the knee), Chloe faced a challenging period, and was sidelined for more than a month.
Chloe knuckled down, focusing on recovery this time instead of playing football, and her dedication paid off when she marked her comeback by participating in her first matches for the national U-19 team, Lion City Sailors Women’s team, as well as the senior national team in the months that followed.
Reflecting on her journey thus far, Chloe holds a deep affection for the cherished memories she crafted during her time with the Sailors.
“My experience in the Sailors Women’s Team and the Academy has been a really pleasant one because I’ve learned so much from the coaches, and I’ve made so many friends. These are the moments and little things that I will really cherish. I think the community here is just so welcoming and everyone’s like a big family, and that has really helped me in terms of my growth,” she said.
“The Sailors have a really clear pathway for development: if you’re from the academy, there’s a pathway to our WPL team which is the path that I went down,” said Chloe.
“I think one of my most memorable moments was when I scored my first hat-trick in the WPL against Geylang and it was quite memorable in the sense that I only came on as a second half substitute – and my first touch on the ball was a goal,” reminisced Chloe.
“That is something I will never forget.
In her heartfelt sentiments, Chloe paused to pay tribute to the unwavering dedication of coaches who have been guiding lights across her journey.
“The coaches at the Sailors care more about your personal development as a player than the results in matches. Although we know results are important, coaches always say that they rather see us apply something learnt from training on the field during a match.
All in all, it was clear the coaches really care about your holistic development as a player and a person. And they actually are more than willing to go the extra mile to help you,” mused Chloe.
“I’m really grateful to Coach (Yeong) Sheau Shyan for just being one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. She has groomed me since 2018 and she really shaped me to become the player I am today so I am thankful to her for that.”
Natasha, who like her Sailors comrades is keen to play professionally, sees the opportunity to train at ESC LaLiga Academy as a platform for her to grow as a footballer.
“This is a good opportunity for me to pursue my goals in sports and academics. My development as a footballer will definitely improve and I am very thankful for that,” said Natasha.
“And I really hope that in the future, I will come back to Singapore and share whatever knowledge that I will gain overseas – lessons from on and off the pitch – with more Singaporean players.”
Bernie leaves the Sailors
The Lion City Sailors have reached mutual agreement with Bernie Ibini-Isei to terminate his contract with the club.
Having come off the bench to make his club debut in a 5-0 win over Hougang back in April, the 30-year-old Australian striker went on to make eight appearances for the Sailors – with the last coming in a 3-0 win over Hougang on 25 June.
Having scored goals in more illustrious leagues like Australia’s A-League and Korea’s K League 1, the former Central Coast Mariners and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors man was unlucky not to have netted in the Sailors’ white and blue colours.
An amiable presence on and off the pitch, Bernie leaves with the best wishes of the team. The Sailors wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career.
The Lion City Sailors Women got the perfect start to the second round of the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL), beating fourth-placed Police Sports Association (Police SA) 3-0 on Sunday (13 August) night at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Goals by Nur Izzati Rosni, Cara Chang and Lila Tan reinstated the four-point lead the Sailors held at the top of the 10-team WPL standings before Albirex Niigata (S) beat Tiong Bahru FC 10-0 on Saturday (12 Aug).
Standing in for Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan who is away on a personal matter, Izz Haziq drew several positives from both the result as well as the team performance.
“Today was one of our best performances in terms of build-up play and creating chances and it was against a team that has proven to be a tough team to beat,” said the Sailors Women assistant coach.
“For us to play the way we did and get the win in the end was very satisfying.”
The Sailors women beat Police 3-0 in their opening WPL fixture in March, but it was two late Izzati goals that put the gloss on what was a hard-earned win then.
This time around, the women needed a penalty to break the deadlock, and it was Izzati who again nudged her Sailors towards victory.
After Nur Syazwani Ruzi, Izzati and Cara all went close, 16-year-old forward, Josephine Ang was tripped inside the box. A calm Izzati stepped up to convert and give the Sailors the lead in the 25th minute and that was her 10th goal of the campaign.
Just a minute before half time, 14-year-old Cara scored her first goal for the Sailors. On her weaker foot, the Academy graduate pummeled the ball past the Police goalkeeper before dedicating the goal to her ex-teammate, Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran, who recently left to train overseas under an Unleash The Roar! football scholarship.
“I’m very happy because I missed a few chances last week. I’m happy to score for my friends who have left,” said Cara, smiling as she recounted her goal.
That feeling is something Cara already wants to recreate.
“Mostly, I just want to improve on my decision-making and how I play with the team,” she said. “Hopefully I can help the team get more goals.”
Haziq is confident that Cara will only grow from strength to strength.
“I’m so happy for her to get her goal and on her left foot too. It’ll be fantastic for her confidence and morale, and she deserves every bit of it. She’s been in our academy for many years now and we had full trust in her,” said a proud Haziq.
“We didn’t register her in the league from the start because we didn’t want to rush her, but from her performances in the last few games (since joining the team in the mid-season transfer window), it is clear that she fits right in.”
After causing problems for the opposition back line all game, Cara had yet another chance on goal in the 76th minute. She sped down the right flank and showed quick feet to turn towards goal, and unleashed a shot that was parried away by Police custodian Nur Fadhillah Hassan.
But Lila was on hand to tap the ball into an empty net for her fourth goal of the season to make it 3-0.
Haziq will continue as the stand-in Head Coach for the Sailors’ next WPL assignment, against seventh-placed Still Aerion FC this Saturday (19 Aug) at Choa Chu Kang, and he is hoping for more of the same from the team.
“We are dealing with several players being unavailable or out injured but in the next two weeks it will be about continuing what we’ve been working on and have already shown that we can accomplish,” he said.
“This win over Police is a very good start and if we continue putting in a performance like this again next week, that’s really all we can ask for.”
The task at hand was clear: win to secure second spot in the nine-team Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings, and that was exactly what the Lion City Sailors did, sweeping aside Hougang United in an emphatic 8-2 victory at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (13 August) evening.
The result meant that the Sailors will be Singapore’s representatives in Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions in the 2024/25 season. They have accumulated 51 points from 23 games played, seven clear of third-placed Tampines Rovers, who have played a game fewer but can no longer catch up for second.
Sailors head coach Aleksandar Ranković praised his charges after seeing them secure a runners-up finish in sensational fashion, with the usual suspects Maxime Lestienne and Diego Lopes delivering on the night, and the added bonus of Christopher van Huizen and Haiqal Pashia getting their first goals of the season.
“The goal we set when I came here was to finish in first place, but we knew it was going to be difficult,” said the Serbian, who has steered the Sailors to six wins in eight SPL games since being appointed on 28 June. “We didn’t get that, but we didn’t give up till the end, and finishing second is massively important for us, because it secures AFC participation.”
“Today we did a really good job in the transitions and I can see that the team is getting fitter. I’m very proud of everyone in the team and we can now go into this break with a really good feeling.”
The Sailors started the contest the brighter of the two and went 1-0 up on 11 minutes through Diego, this after Abdul Rasaq Akeem had rattled the bar earlier.
Rising highest to meet Nur Adam Abdullah’s left-wing cross, Diego planted an accurate header into Zaiful Nizam’s bottom corner to take his tally to eight for the season.
Rasaq was not to be denied, expertly curling home his 10th of the season after being picked out by Diego on 24 minutes as the 22-year-old struck double digits in a single campaign for the first time in his career.
Hougang would pull one back three minutes later when Richairo Živković inadvertently turned in Naoki Kuriyama’s header off Kristijan Krajček’s corner.
It was something Ranko was keen to cut out, having conceded in similar fashion against Tampines in their previous game.
“We controlled the match in the first-half, but conceded a really easy goal again from another set-piece. It’s happened in two straight games and we have to work on that,” he noted, with his eyes now set on the next big assignment for the Sailors, the AFC Champions League (ACL) which starts in mid-September.
“This cannot happen in the ACL because mistakes like this can cost you games.”
The second half was in stark contrast to the opening 45, with Richairo lashing home into the far corner two minutes after the restart to restore Sailors’ two-goal lead.
Chris then capped off a 20-pass move with a blistering strike for his maiden goal in Sailors colours in the 61st minute to extend the lead to 4-1.
Seven minutes later, substitute Gabriel Quak returned to haunt the Sailors when he hit an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box which beat Zharfan Rohaizad at full stretch.
That joy proved to be short-lived for the home side as Sailors made it 5-2 in the 73rd minute, with Maxime teeing up Richairo for his second of the night – with the Curaçaon forward scoring a brace for a second straight match.
Richairo then returned the favour in the 78th minute, providing the cutback for Maxime to fire in his first of the evening.
There were just 12 minutes left to play, but the Sailors were not done just yet.
Having nicked the ball off Nazrul Nazari, the effervescent Zulqarnaen Suzliman laid it on a plate for Maxime to produce an impudent flick past Zaiful seven minutes from time.
The Belgian’s brace means he currently leads the SPL goalscorer charts with 25 goals, three ahead of Balestier Khalsa’s Ryoya Taniguchi.
Pashia would then round off the scoring in injury-time with a cool finish after latching onto a pass from fellow substitute Hami Syahin – his first since scoring in a 4-0 win over Tampines in May 2022.
With a pair of goals and three assists to his name, Man-of-the-Match Maxime played down his contributions.
“The season was not easy for all of us and I felt a little sad not to have been crowned as champions. We tried and gave everything we could and while I’m happy with the goals and assists today, the most important thing was that the team won,” the former Standard Liege man said.
The Sailors’ next assignment will see them face Geylang International in their final SPL fixture on September 16, but Ranko already has eyes firmly set on what lies thereafter.
“We are definitely going for the Singapore Cup,” he asserted.
“We are also in the ACL and we need to see who we are drawn against, but we are going to prepare well and not just make the numbers. That’s my main goal in the weeks ahead.”
Sailors Women ready to rumble in Rd 2
After a dominant first half of the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) season with eight wins and a draw, the Lion City Sailors Women’s will be looking to continue their impressive form when Round 2 kicks off against Police Sports Association (SA) on Sunday (13 Aug) night at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Yeong Sheau Shyan’s charges are now in pole position in the 10-team WPL table with 25 points from nine games, four more than second-placed Hougang United and six ahead of third-placed Albirex Niigata (S).
Despite the commanding start and gap in points tally, the Sailors Women are not taking things lightly, instead going out to secure yet another three points against Police to set the tone for the remainder of the season.
“It is very important to start positively because anything could happen in the second round. Despite the fact that we are at the top of the table, we need to have a strong and positive mindset,” said Khairunnisa Khairol Anwar, who has shown versatility this season, already featuring at both right-back and right midfield.
“If we’re complacent, teams can easily take points off us. We have to keep winning to remain top and keep the momentum going.”
Sunday’s opponent, Police, have had an encouraging first season in the WPL – after being promoted from the second-tier Women’s National League (WNL) – they have amassed 18 points from nine outings and are just three points off second spot.
A stout performance to hold title-chasing Hougang to a 0-0 draw last weekend not only showcased their defensive strength, but has also lifted their confidence before facing a Sailors side that has scored a league-leading tally of 35 goals – nine more than any side.
“Police is not a team to disregard lightly as they have a lot of experienced players,especially in their backline. Sitianiwati Rosielin is one of their key players and she is very good at distributing the ball. Furthermore, the team also has other players with good technical skills to trouble our defence,” said a serious Nisa.
“We cannot take them lightly at all.”
The Sailors have taken the approach to embrace a more youthful composition amongst the squad and give playing opportunities to rising teenagers – till date, a total of seven Under-16 girls have made WPL debuts for the team after being promoted from the club’s Girls’ Academy.
Nisa, once a junior player in the team, is now wholeheartedly embracing her more senior role. She is enjoying providing guidance to the younger ones and actively helping their seamless integration into the team.
“I try to help the younger players by giving them feedback or when they have questions about our game. And as much as possible, I try to encourage them because the level of intensity is different in the WPL compared to the WNL.
“Afterall, I’ve been in their position before so I know how a little bit of help and encouragement goes a long way in helping them adjust to playing at a higher level,” said the 20-year-old, who has made nine appearances for the Singapore national women’s team.
Sailors’ latest debutant, Cara Chang, holds a deep admiration for the senior players like Nisa who have reached out with a helping hand.
“Playing with the senior players has helped me a lot: there is a lot I am learning from them technically, tactically and physically. I really admire their mentality and composure, and they constantly motivate me by encouraging and supporting me both on and off the field.
“This helped me easily transition into the team and feel part of the Sailors’ family,” said the 14-year-old, who has made two WPL appearances so far and made two assists since being registered in the WPL mid-season transfer window.
“Nisa in particular has helped me a lot because we play in the same position and she helps me whenever I’m unsure about something.”
Cara also echoed Nisa’s sentiments, emphasising the significance of commencing the second round with a victorious start.
“I think starting this round with a strong win is very important because the gap at the top of the table between us and Albirex is quite tight. Every single game matters and winning will help us show that we are ready to compete for the title,” said the young winger, who is also part of the Singapore Under-16 women’s team.
“We’ve learnt a lot from the first round and we hope to implement what we’ve been working on in training sessions in our game this Sunday. It will also serve as a confidence booster and help us keep our momentum going for the rest of the season.”
Coming off two huge wins over Balestier Khalsa and Tampines Rovers in their last two Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixtures, the Lion City Sailors are looking to carry the positive momentum forward and seal second spot in nine-team league standings when they face Hougang United on Sunday (13 August) evening at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
With two games left to play, the Sailors are second in the league with 48 points, eight adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S) – who are already confirmed as champions – but four ahead of third-placed Tampines Rovers. A win over the Cheetahs will guarantee a runners-up finish, and with that the right to represent Singapore in 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club tournaments, courtesy of being the top local side.
Adam Swandi has been a driving force in the team’s recent good form, and against Hougang, his eyes are firmly fixed on that target.
“A win will secure us second spot – it’s as simple as that. We’ve been in good form of late and we’re going to carry the momentum into this one,” said the 27-year-old, who recorded two assists off the bench in the 5-2 win over Tampines.
“We’re all sad that we couldn’t attain the objective of winning the title, but all we can do now is to focus and at least finish second to secure us AFC qualification – and we’re going all out for this game.”
While the Sailors are in the driving seat to finish second and need just three points from their final two matches to do so, Adam is eager to get the job done against Hougang and avoid added pressure in their final league fixture against Geylang International scheduled for 16 September.
Hougang are also riding atop a high wave, having won their last four games on the trot. The run of form has propelled them to sixth spot and reignited hopes of a top-four finish – they are five points behind fourth-placed Balestier with both teams having three games left to play.
Adam asserts that Hougang will be a tough opponent to crack.
“Hougang have done well in recent seasons and they have quality players in the squad even though they’re not as high up as they should be in the table this year. With players like Gabriel Quak and Đorđe Maksimović, they will be a real threat to us.
“I’m sure they’re going to give their best against us and we definitely can’t underestimate them,” he said.
According to Adam, the game plan against Hougang is evidently a simple one: to stay compact and not allow the Cheetahs a fast start.
“We have to keep our defence tight and we cannot lose concentration when we are defending. But if our defence is compact and we work together in keeping our defence organised, we do not have to worry about getting the goals because we have crazy quality upfront,” he stressed.
The “crazy” quality Adam is referring to includes Richairo Živković, whose second-half brace against the Stags the last time out made it four goals in four starts for the Sailors since his mid-season arrival.
Now getting into his groove, the Curaçaoan forward is looking forward to plunder more goals in the Sailors blue and white and and is extending a heartfelt call to the fans to rally behind and support the team.
“I’m adapting very well to the team and how Coach Ranko (Aleksandar Ranković) wants us to set up. It’s also quite easy to settle in with the quality of attacking players we have,” said the 26-year-old. “Of course it feels great for me to be contributing to the goals, but I’m hungry to do even more for the team. I feel very happy here now and it’s great that we’ve such great support from the fans.
“It was amazing to see them being in full voice at an away ground (Our Tampines Hub) last week and that helped us to a huge win. We’re very motivated to do well as a team for them and I’m really looking forward to their brilliant support again when we go to Jalan Besar Stadium this Sunday.”
In a sensational display of attacking prowess, the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team secured an emphatic 10-0 victory against Tiong Bahru FC on Saturday (5 August) in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL). A young Sailors starting 11 dominated every aspect of the game at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, leaving their opponents struggling to cope with their relentless attacking pressure and cohesive gameplay.
The win – coming off the back of an early brace from Josephine Ang and a Nur Izzati Rosni hat-trick – saw the Sailors solidify their position at the top of the 10-team WPL standings, with 25 points from nine games. They are now five points ahead of second-place Albirex Niigata (S), who could close the gap when they face Tanjong Pagar United on Sunday (6 Aug).
Staying true to her pre-match words, Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan handed starts to a total of five Under-16 girls – including Cara Chang and Chloe Koh who were given their first starts of the season.
The floodgates opened in the 23rd minute through one from that quintet as Josephine converted the rebound from Chloe’s shot to find the back of the net for her first-ever WPL goal.
“We had possession from the start but that possession didn’t initially turn into goals, but we started switching the ball a little bit quicker and played more penetrative passes. And after Josephine scored, I think we just got into the flow,” said Sailors midfielder Ho Hui Xin.
“And when the next goal and next goal came in, we started to gain momentum.”
Just two minutes after Josephine’s opener, the Sailors doubled their lead with Miray Altun stroking the ball into the left side of the net to score for a fourth successive game after Madelin Lock played a beautiful pass that beat the entire Tiong Bahru backline.
Josephine was not done yet, finding the back of the net again in the 26th minute, this time off a precise Cara pass.
Izzati – who came on for the injured Madelin – wasted no time making her presence felt alongside Josephine. She scored the Sailors’ fourth goal of the night in the 38th minute after controlling a Josephine pass and beating the Tiong Bahru goalkeeper.
Emerging after the break, the Sailors picked up right where they left off.
Izzati, on fire, scored her second goal just two minutes into the second half, drilling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. And Cara was the provider for this goal with her penetrating pass.
In the 60th minute, Izzati bagged her hat-trick with a powerful shot from some 25 yards out that nestled in the top left corner of the Tiong Bahru goal.
That brought the 24-year-old’s goal tally up to nine for the season as she closes in on Albirex’s league-leading scorer Kana Kitahara (12 goals).
Second-half substitute Lila Tan got in on the action soon after her introduction, weaving her way through the opposition defence before slotting the ball home from outside the penalty box in the 75th minute.
Nur Syazwani Ruzi (77th minute), Tia Foong (81st) and Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran (86th) all got their names on the scoresheet in the last 12 minutes of the game, adding to Tiong Bahru’s woes and bringing the final score to 10-0.
Tia’s maiden strike and Josephine’s goals also meant a total of 14 different players have scored for the Sailors in the WPL this season.
Despite the double-digit scoreline, Hui Xin believes her Sailors can continue to improve.
“Just the willingness to pick the ball forward a little bit more and just having the guts to bring it forward, instead of playing horizontally across, these are some areas we can improve on,” she said after the game.
Josephine, who scored her first two goals for the club on Saturday, was visibly delighted, but like her more experienced counterpart, Hui Xin, could see where she must improve.
“It was a bit shaky for me initially because this was only my second start and I was feeling a bit nervous. But after I scored my first goal, I felt like I got in flow, more confident and calm in front of the goal,” said the 16-year-old. “I’m glad that I got a second goal too, but this doesn’t stop here, I am eager for more.”
“I hope to play more in the upcoming games, and for that I know I have to train harder. I need to play the ball faster and improve on my decision making skills too.”
The Sailors’ next WPL assignment will be at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Sunday, 13 Aug, against fourth-placed Police Sports Association.
