Month: September 2024
A brace from Shawal Anuar and a penalty save by Izwan Mahbud helped the Lion City Sailors secure a point against BG Tampines Rovers in a 2-2 draw in the Singapore Premier League (SPL)’s top-of-the-table fixture at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (September 29) evening.
The Sailors forward both opened and finished the scoring on the night, with his stunning long-range strike in the 8th minute being a strong contender for goal of the season.
The draw maintains the Sailors’ three-point lead at the summit, and Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković, who made eight changes to his starting lineup, was proud of the players who made their opportunity count.
“It was a tough match against a good opponent,” said Ranko. “Of course, when you look at the starting lineup, there were many changes, including some positional adjustments.
“For example, (Haiqal) Pashia played as a right full-back, a position which he had never played before. I told my players I was proud of them — the way they performed and fought until the end. I believe it’s a well-deserved point.”
The Sailors came into this match with less than 72 hours of preparation time following their 5-0 away defeat to Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup on Thursday (26 September) night.
Izwan, Bailey Wright, and Toni Datković were the only players to retain their spots in the starting lineup from the defeat in Hanoi, while Bart Ramselaar and Lennart Thy were left out of the matchday squad for this crucial fixture.
In contrast, BG Tampines – winless in their previous five matches in all competitions – named what was arguably their strongest starting XI for the match.
But it was the Sailors who drew first blood in the 8th minute, and in some style.
Shah Shahiran’s effort was charged down by Shawal, who accelerated past the Stags midfielder to reach the rebound, before striking the bouncing ball with his weaker foot from just beyond the centre circle, sending it flying over Syazwan Buhari in the BG Tampines goal.
The goal – Shawal’s 10th in the SPL this season – got the Sailors fans off their seats, but the forward insisted after the game that he is more focused on the team’s overall performance, rather than his individual achievements.
“I always strive to contribute in any way I can on the pitch. I’m happy for my teammates. To be honest, I don’t keep track of my goals; once the final whistle blows, I tend to forget about them,” remarked Shawal, who was named Man of the Match.
BG Tampines came close to finding the equaliser in the 32nd minute, but Seia Kunori’s effort was cleared off the line by Bailey.
Eight minutes later, Gavin Lee’s men had another golden opportunity to level the score when they were awarded a penalty following a foul on Kyoga Nakamura by Bill Mamadou.
Up stepped BG Tampines’ top-scorer Boris Kopitović to take the penalty, but the Montenegrin’s spot-kick was well-saved by Izwan.
As such, the Sailors went into the dressing room with a slender 1-0 lead after an intriguing opening 45 minutes.
However, just four minutes after the restart, BG Tampines found themselves level – Glenn Kweh drove forward from the left before slipping a through pass for Faris Ramli, who slotted home from close range.
Just six minutes later, BG Tampines took the lead when Kunori’s shot deflected off Kopitović’s shoulder to wrong-foot a helpless Izwan in the Sailors goal.
Ranko’s immediate response to going behind was to bring on Maxime Lestienne, who nearly made an impact right away with two attempts that went over the bar, much to the frustration of the Sailors’ faithful.
At the other end of the pitch, Izwan was called into action once more, getting down smartly to tip away Kunori’s low attempt in the 84th minute to keep the Sailors in the game.
It was a stop that ultimately proved crucial for the Sailors, and Ranko was quick to praise the Singapore international for stepping up whenever he was called upon.
Ranko reflected, “I think the match could have gone either way today. But credit to our goalkeeper for stepping up to save a crucial penalty and making a few other good saves.
“When you consider the chances from both sides, particularly Maxime’s opportunities in the second half, those moments could have made a significant difference.”
Just three minutes later, the Sailors secured the crucial equaliser when Shawal leapt highest to head the ball just over the goal-line, despite Syazwan’s best efforts to stop it and the goal was eventually given after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check.
With 11 goals and 10 assists to his name, Shawal is the best-performing domestic player in the league this season and has already achieved career-best figures.
“Definitely, I will strive to assist or score even more goals to help my team make better decisions,” said the 33-year-old.
Given their recent fixture congestion and the tough run of games they have endured, claiming a draw against their closest title rivals was an acceptable result for the Sailors, according to Ranko.
“This draw was very important. We led 1-0, but they came back with two goals. We also saved a penalty in the first half. So, getting a draw keeps the points difference at three. That was our goal — not to lose this game,” he explained.
The Sailors will play their sixth match in 20 days when they travel to Thailand to face Port FC in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two on Thursday (3 October).
The Lion City Sailors will have less than 72 hours to brush themselves off from their bruising 5-0 defeat to Vietnam’s Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup before returning to action on Sunday (29 September) evening, this time in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
And the challenge awaiting them this weekend? None other than a high-stakes clash against title rivals BG Tampines Rovers at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The Sailors currently sit at the top of the SPL with 35 points, while the Stags trail just three points behind in second place.
While acknowledging that the short preparation time for a game of this magnitude is far from ideal, Sailors centre-back Toni Datković is still confident that his side can rise to the challenge.
“Yes, we don’t have much time to prepare, but we knew from the start of the season that we’d be competing in two regional competitions. We wouldn’t want it any other way — we want to be out there, competing at this higher level,” said the 30-year-old.
“So, we can’t use travel or fatigue as excuses. It’s all in the mind; we’ve physically prepared for this period, and we’re really looking forward to this game.”
The last time both sides met in mid-July, BG Tampines claimed a 5-0 victory, marking one of the Sailors’ lowest points of the season.
However, Toni insists the scoreline didn’t reflect the Sailors’ true quality, and he is eager to set things right in the return fixture.
The former LaLiga 2 man said, “Everything just went wrong for us in that match, and it was a painful result to take for sure. But I believe it was just a bad day in the office for us. We want to prove on Sunday that it was a one-off.”
Toni, however, acknowledged that they will need to focus on eliminating the errors that contributed to their heavy defeat against CAHN.
“The Shopee Cup is an international competition, so every mistake you make, opponents like CAHN will punish you,” Toni mused. “We made a lot of mistakes that night, and it shouldn’t happen. We have to learn and improve for our upcoming matches.”
Toni is expected to play an integral role in the heart of the Sailors’ defence against BG Tampines – a prospect that seemed highly unlikely just a month ago, following a rib injury he sustained in their match against Albirex Niigata (S).
Initially, it was feared that the injury would keep Toni out for a significant number of games. However, the man affectionately known as El Sicario returned after just a two-match absence, and has since completed the full 90 minutes in the Sailors’ last three games.
“They say Balkan guys are made different!” Toni quipped. “Yes, my recovery was faster than expected, but I feel really fit now. As I said, there’s no room for excuses.
“Every game means a lot to us… We want to beat Tampines because we know how much it means to our supporters.”
Sailors fall to second defeat in Shopee Cup
In what was arguably their toughest 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup Group B fixture, the Lion City Sailors battled hard but still fell to a 5-0 defeat against V.League 1 powerhouses Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC in front of a 6,168-strong crowd at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium on Thursday (26 September) night.
It was the Sailors’ second consecutive defeat in the competition, following their loss to Borneo FC Samarinda in the opening fixture.
The loss leaves the Sailors’ hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Shopee Cup hanging by a thread, but Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković is not giving up just yet.
“We still have three games in the Shopee Cup, two of them at home next January,” Ranko said. “Yes, it’s going to be tough for us, especially as we’re competing on multiple fronts with a lean squad. But it’s important that we do not mourn over this defeat, and instead prepare for the future.”
Ranko understandably opted for the same starting eleven that impressed in the Sailors’ 2-0 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two win over China’s Zhejiang Professional a week ago. It seemed to pay off initially, as the Sailors moved the ball fluidly, stringing together precise and controlled passes in the early stages of the game.
Indeed, despite going up against a strong CAHN side headlined by top Vietnamese star Nguyễn Quang Hải and led by former Thailand national team coach Mano Pölking, the Sailors were actually the ones to create the first real chances of the game.
Maxime Lestienne curled wide after a solo run just three minutes in, while Lennart Thy narrowly hooked Hafiz Nor’s deep cross off-target seven minutes later.
CAHN’s main threat came from the flanks, with their speedy full-backs Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant and Vũ Văn Thanh pushing forward in attack. The Sailors maintained a compact defensive shape though, limiting space and producing several last-ditch blocks, with veterans Hariss Harun and Hafiz particularly standing out.
However, the Sailors’ brave resistance was broken in the 30th minute, when Văn Thanh snuck in behind the right channel before squaring the ball across goal for Brazilian forward Léo Artur to tap home.
The goal did not dampen the Sailors’ spirit, and they nearly equalised seven minutes later through Maxime, who exchanged passes with Bart Ramselaar before firing an effort from range that just failed to find the back of the net.
Despite their best efforts to stay in the game, the Sailors — playing their fourth match in just 13 days — eventually fell further behind in the second half.
On the hour mark, CAHN doubled their lead through Nguyễn Đình Bắc’s powerful strike, before they added a third goal four minutes later, as Lê Văn Đô converted a rebound from a half-cleared corner.
CAHN made it 4-0 in the 69th minute, with Artur firing home a stunning long-range shot past Izwan Mahbud in the Sailors goal.
That was the cue for Ranko to ring the changes, as he withdrew the likes of Maxime, Hami Syahin and Lennart Thy, no doubt with a view to resting them ahead of the top-of-the-table Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against BG Tampines Rovers which will take place in less than 72 hours’ time on Sunday (29 September).
Five minutes from time, Artur put the icing on the cake for CAHN as he completed his hat-trick to secure a 5-0 win for his team.
Reflecting on the heavy defeat, Ranko identified CAHN’s second goal as the turning point in what had been a closer game than many had anticipated.
“I believe we conceded a couple of cheap and easy goals, particularly the second, third, and fourth,” he said. “We certainly didn’t expect this result. We were a bit unlucky; after the first goal, we played solidly, but once the second goal went in, we knew it would be an uphill battle.
“Honestly, I think we could have performed better on the ball, as there were plenty of spaces to exploit, but we couldn’t find them. Overall, CAHN played well as a team.”
The Sailors will turn their attention to the crunch SPL clash against BG Tampines on Sunday, before travelling to Thailand to face Port FC four days later (3 October) in the ACL Two.
After kickstarting September with three wins in as many matches, the Lion City Sailors face arguably their toughest challenge of the month yet, when they take on V.League 1 powerhouses Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC away at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium on Thursday (26 September) in Matchday Two of the 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.
A CAHN outfit littered with talent
Having qualified for this tournament as the 2023 V.League 1 champions, CAHN has several established Vietnamese national players in the ranks.
Nguyễn Quang Hải – who used to ply his trade in France’s Ligue 2 with Pau FC – is undoubtedly their biggest star, but they also boast the likes of experienced full-back Vũ Văn Thanh, Czech-born goalkeeper Filip Nguyễn, and reliable forward Phan Văn Đức.
These players are backed up by a complement of quality foreigners brought in during the off-season, such as Brazilian attacking trio Vitao, Leo Arthur, and Alan Grafite, as well as half-Vietnamese full-back Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant.
CAHN’s quality was on show on Matchday 1 of the ACC Shopee Cup, as they stunned pre-tournament favourites Buriram United 2-1 on a rain-soaked night at Hàng Đẫy.
However, CAHN has since lost the services of Grafite – who was the second-highest scorer in the 2023/24 V.League 1 season, and who netted a goal and assisted another against Buriram – due to a long-term injury sustained a couple of weeks before the start of the new domestic season.
Nonetheless, CAHN Head Coach Mano Pölking is confident that his team has the quality to compensate for Grafite’s absence.
“As you know, we’re missing an important player in Alan,” Pölking said. “He scored many goals for us during pre-season, and also last season with his former club. We’re now working on solutions, but I believe it’s just a matter of time. We have quality players, and we can create chances. Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll convert those chances into goals.”
Pölking’s insider knowledge
In Pölking, CAHN has a tactician who knows Singaporean players well from his tenure as Thailand’s national team Head Coach between 2021 to 2023. During that time, he faced Singapore twice – most recently in a 3-1 win over the Lions at Singapore’s National Stadium last November.
Song Uiyoung teed up Shawal Anuar – two of seven Sailors who featured that night – for the Lions’ only goal of that game. The other Sailors who played in that game included captain Hariss Harun, Lionel Tan, Anumanthan Kumar, and Christopher van Huizen.
Pölking believes his knowledge of Singaporean players could work to his advantage.
“I know the Sailors’ players well, and some of them have also played in the Thai League like Izwan Mahbud. They’re experienced and have participated in many international games,” said the 48-year-old Brazilian, who took charge as CAHN head coach on a two-year contract in June.
“Hariss Harun, for example, is a legend – a good player and a good guy. I hope this familiarity helps with my analysis of the team. It’s advantageous to play against players you’re familiar with, so I hope we can find a good strategy.
“The Sailors are a strong team… accustomed to dominating their league and winning, which brings confidence and fosters a positive dressing room atmosphere – both of which are crucial in football.
“However, I believe in our team’s ability to compete with them. We’ve already analysed their strengths and identified areas where we can exploit opportunities. With our fans here to support us, I’m confident we’ll see a great game between two strong teams.”
While Pölking enjoyed a dream start to life at CAHN by beating Buriram in his first competitive match in charge of the club, he has struggled to get his team purring in their first two V.League 1 matches of the new season.
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They were held to a 1-1 draw by Hải Phòng on Matchday 1 – conceding a heartbreaking 94th-minute equaliser – and fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Đông Á Thanh Hóa this past weekend, as they continue to wait for a first domestic win of the season.
However, Pölking insists it’s still too early in the season to make any definitive judgements about his team.
“We’re not satisfied with just one point from two games. We need to analyse our performance and identify areas for improvement. But it’s too soon to call this a bad start. I hope that tomorrow we can build on a solid performance in the competition, which will boost our confidence.”
A Sailors side in buoyant mood
With the Sailors falling to a 3-0 away loss to Borneo FC Samarinda on Matchday One of the Shopee Cup, they will be eager to get their first points of the tournament against CAHN.
While a star-studded CAHN side prove a stern challenge, the Sailors have been buoyed by their recent performances and results, with back-to-back Singapore Premier League (SPL) victories over Tanjong Pagar United and Balestier Khalsa sandwiching a stunning 2-0 triumph over China’s Zhejiang Professional in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two.
Ranko has urged his team to maintain their winning momentum against CAHN.
“The target is always to get the three points,” he declared. “We dropped points in the first game against Borneo, but we were a bit unlucky as we played with 10 men. Now, if we want to progress in this competition, we have to get a result here.
“We know it won’t be easy. They play a very direct style, and they have a lot of quality players, many from abroad. If I compare them to the other teams in the group, they might be our toughest opponent, especially in their style of play. So it’s going to be a tough match, but we’ll give our all to get a result. They also come into this strong from their last match in the Shopee Cup, but we’re ready for the challenge.”
Sailors goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, who has started the last nine games in all competitions, added, “It’s always tough playing away, but if we stick to the plan — we’ve trained hard, and we’ve had some good results recently, including in the ACL Two. We just need to carry that momentum forward, and hopefully, tomorrow will be a good game for us.”
As the final whistle blew at the Jalan Besar Stadium last Thursday (19 September), confirming the Lion City Sailors’ 2-0 victory over China’s Zhejiang Professional in their AFC Champions League (ACL) Two debut, Christopher van Huizen was overcome with emotion and began to tear up.
For the full-back, the victory was a vindication of both the team’s and his hard work, especially during what he described as a ‘rough patch’ in his personal life.
“The past two months haven’t been great for me. It’s something personal and I don’t really want to go further into that… let’s just say that in general, things haven’t really been going my way,” shared the 31-year-old.
“My issues off the pitch, combined with the team’s results in August, made it a tough time for me. I’ve been trying my best to focus on myself – spending time with family and friends, and finding joy with my teammates at the club. As a team, we were turning things around after beating Tanjong Pagar the week before, and we really want to keep this winning momentum going.
“When Coach (Aleksandar Ranković) told me I was going to start against Zhejiang, I knew I had to set everything aside and stay focused, while still trying to express myself on the pitch. It’s so satisfying to see both myself and the team starting to perform well again. When the game ended, I couldn’t control my emotions – I just had to let it all out. I know it’s not pretty when someone cries, but those were happy tears.”
Just three days after the win over Zhejiang, Chris scored his first goal of the season to help the Sailors secure a crucial 3-1 Singapore Premier League (SPL) win over Balestier Khalsa.
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Ranko’s men will now turn their attention to the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, as they look to bounce back from a loss to Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda on Matchday 1.
The Sailors are set to face 2023 V.League 1 champions Công An Hà Nội FC away at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium on Thursday night, and Chris is backing his side to pick up their first points of the campaign.
“Our result against Zhejiang has given us a lot of belief; we have a good energy within the team now, and we want to keep this momentum going,” declared the Singapore international, who was part of the Lions team that held Vietnam to a 0-0 draw in the 2022 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
“Vietnamese teams are technically very gifted and have good structures, but we know we have what it takes to match them. If we perform like we did against Zhejiang and play our cards right, we have a strong chance of coming away with a good result.”
Amid a hectic schedule, with the Sailors set to face BG Tampines Rovers in the SPL on Sunday (29 September) before travelling to Thailand for an ACL Two clash against Port FC the following Thursday (3 October), Chris has urged his side to adopt the tried-and-true approach of ‘taking it one game at a time.’
“It’s really about focusing on each game as it comes, even if it sounds boring to some,” Chris, who has started 17 out of the Sailors’ 18 matches across all competitions this season, said.
“We can’t pick and choose when to give our best – that’s the wrong mindset. It’s always about being fully present and giving our all for the club in every match or competition.
“We’ve already had the experience of balancing continental commitments with the SPL last season, so there are no excuses. We just need to strategise as a team and support one another to keep delivering strong results.
The Lion City Sailors chalked up another important three points in the enthralling 2024/25 Singapore Premier League title race as they dispatched Balestier Khalsa 3-1 on Sunday (September 22) evening at the Bishan Stadium.
Abdul Rasaq Akeem opened the scoring for Aleksandar Ranković’s side, before Christopher van Huizen and Sergio Carmona Pérez registered their first goals of the season to secure the Sailors’ third successive win in all competitions.
With SPL title rivals BG Tampines Rovers suffering their first defeat of the season – a 3-2 loss at the hands of Brunei DPMM – in the night’s other fixture, the Sailors have now extended their lead at the top of the table to three points.
With the Sailors navigating a packed fixture schedule across three competitions, Ranko praised his team for their professional handling of the Bishan Derby.
“It was a very mature performance, especially after our AFC Champions League (ACL) Two game,” Ranko said. “You can expect the opponent to push harder, thinking we’re fatigued, but we managed the game really well. Perhaps we should have scored one more in the first half, but we controlled the second half effectively.”
The Sailors came into this fixture on a high, following a superb 2-0 win over China’s Zhejiang Professional on Thursday (September 19). However, Balestier were also on a good run of form, and were unbeaten in their last six league matches.
To keep things fresh, Ranko made several changes to his starting line-up, bringing in Carmona, Song Uiyoung, Shawal Anuar, Rasaq, and Haiqal Pashia — with Pashia handed his first start of the campaign.
It took just 12 minutes for the Sailors to break the deadlock in front of their home fans when Balestier goalkeeper Hafiz Ahmad fumbled Carmona’s cross; the loose ball fell to Shawal, who unselfishly squared it to Rasaq for an easy tap-in from close range.
That was the 23-year-old’s second league goal in as many matches as he continued his strong return to the fold after a year-long injury layoff.
Shawal himself could have got on the scoresheet a few minutes later when he found himself one-on-one with Hafiz, but he unfortunately scuffed his shot at the crucial moment.
In the 26th minute, more indecision within the Balestier backline cost the visitors again, as Fudhil I’yadh’s short back pass caught Hafiz out. Under pressure from Rasaq, Balestier failed to clear their lines, and the ball eventually fell to Chris, who calmly curled home from outside the area for his first goal for the club since August 2023.
Balestier tried to find a way back into the match, but the best they could muster in the opening 45 minutes were tame efforts from Kodai Tanaka and Ismaïl Sassi that Izwan Mahbud easily claimed.
Ranko brought out the big guns in the second half, with Hariss Harun and Maxime Lestienne coming on at half-time and the 59th minute respectively, and the Belgian almost made an immediate impact as he put the ball in the back of the net in the 63rd minute. His effort, however, was ruled out for offside.
Balestier halved the deficit in the 69th minute with centre-back Jordan Emaviwe sweeping the ball home from close range after an uncleared corner.
However, the Tigers’ joy would prove to be short lived, as a minute later Carmona restored the Sailors’ two-goal cushion, with the Spaniard drilling the ball into the bottom corner after being set up by Maxime.
It was the 20-year-old Madrid native’s first goal for the club since joining in April, and after the match, he revealed that it was dedicated to someone special.
“I’m so happy we won and that I could help the team. I’m really delighted to have scored my first goal for the club. My grandfather passed away in June, and I want to dedicate this goal to him,” said Carmona, who was named Man-of-the-Match.
The Sailors came close to extending their lead in second-half stoppage time when Maxime’s clever reverse pass found Hafiz Nor, but the 36-year-old’s effort was cleared off the line.
With three crucial SPL points secured, the Sailors will next turn their attention to an away trip to Hanoi, where they will face Công An Hà Nội FC on Thursday, 26 September, in Group B of the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.
Ranko acknowledged that maintaining winning momentum at this stage of the season is crucial for keeping the pressure on their SPL rivals, even as they strive to make Singapore proud on the international stage.
He said, “It’s very important for us to keep winning game after game. Now we have to prepare for the trip to Vietnam, followed by Tampines in the SPL and then ACL Two again (away against Port FC). Fortunately, the guys know what to do, how to play, and the system we are using. We are looking forward to it, and I’m very happy that nobody got injured.”
Resilient Rasaq ready to rise again
He had to go through not one, but two surgeries within a year. But now, Abdul Rasaq Akeem is finally back and ready to play a big part for the Lion City Sailors once again.
The 23-year-old looked sharp on his return from a year-long absence, starting in the Sailors’ 6-0 Singapore Premier League (SPL) win over Tanjong Pagar United last weekend (14 September). He even got on the scoresheet with a well-taken penalty for the opening goal during his 70 minutes on the pitch.
“It was such an amazing feeling to be back in the starting line-up and scoring,” said Rasaq. “I feel 100 percent now, and I just want to keep doing what I do best to help the team.”
It has been a long way back for Rasaq, who enjoyed an outstanding debut season for the Sailors in 2023 – he finished as joint-top local scorer alongside teammate Shawal Anuar with 10 goals, including a memorable winner in a 3-2 comeback victory over Albirex Niigata (S).
Then tragedy struck as he sustained a meniscus injury while representing Singapore in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers last September. It was an injury that required surgery and forced him to miss the rest of the season, including all six of the Sailors’ group-stage matches in last season’s AFC Champions League (ACL), and their winning run in the Singapore Cup.
“I came to the Sailors to play in competitions like the ACL, but it wasn’t to be last season,” lamented Rasaq. “I still recall the moment when I got injured – the Guam defender came from the side and hit me on the knee. The pain got worse after a few days and after some checks, it was confirmed that I had to go for surgery.
“There were a lot of tears and damage on both the medial and lateral sides of the meniscus, so they had to stitch them up, and it required some time to heal.”
Rasaq returned to training during pre-season earlier this year, but something still felt off. The pain in his meniscus persisted, and it soon became clear that he needed a second operation to repair the damage – this was the blow that hit him the hardest.
“Initially, I thought that it’s normal to feel this way because I just got back to training, but the pain did not get better,” Rasaq recounted. “So, we sought a second opinion and found out that the stitching on the medial side had come out. It was very difficult for me to accept, especially when I found out I had to undergo another surgery.
“To work so hard to get back to a certain level, thinking you’re almost there, only to find out things aren’t as you perceived and be hit by another setback — that was a real mountain to climb for me.”
Nonetheless, the ups-and-downs of his recovery and rehabilitation process taught Rasaq plenty of lessons. He also credited his strong religious faith for helping him through these challenging times.
“This whole year I’ve been out, I’ve learned so much about the importance of being patient and trusting the process. What helped me most was my belief in God and trusting Him on this journey,” said Rasaq, who is a Muslim.
“Having undergone the first surgery, I was also better able to handle the post-op recovery after the second one. There were days where I was frustrated and wanted to rush things, but I learnt to be more honest with myself – to listen to my body, and know when to take things slow.
“I took the process day-by-day, working with our rehab specialist David Conde, who has done so much for me. I’m very thankful to him, as well as the doctors who performed the surgeries.”
After making the bench for three matches, Rasaq was finally given his opportunity to start against the Jaguars a week ago. The emotions were written all over his face after his goal — to him, it was about more than just scoring.
Rasaq revealed, “The goal was important not just for me, but to my family, as I lost my grandfather about a month ago. I’m glad I had the opportunity to dedicate it to him and my family.”
He was then named in the matchday squad for a continental game for the first time, when the Sailors memorably beat China’s Zhejiang Professional 2-0 in their ACL Two opener. It was a special victory that fueled Rasaq’s hunger for more.
“It was special just to be with the boys and be part of this team that achieved such a remarkable victory. I felt the commitment from everyone, from the players, to the staff to the fans; everyone played their part,” Rasaq mused.
“This is the benchmark for us, and we should be building on this, not just for regional matches, but also for our domestic matches. We need to constantly push ourselves to play at this higher intensity.”
For now, Rasaq and the Sailors are fully focused on their immediate task on Sunday (22 September) – taking on a high-flying Balestier Khalsa side that are currently fourth in the SPL and unbeaten in their last six matches.
“As players, it’s important that we build on this momentum and bring the same commitment back into the SPL,” said Rasaq. “Balestier are one of the most entertaining teams in the league and will be tough to play against, so we need to show the same commitment we did against Zhejiang.
“The fans always stand up for us, and we need to stand up for them and try to deliver the results they deserve.”
Two well-taken goals, by Hariss Harun and Maxime Lestienne, helped the Lion City Sailors secure a well-deserved 2-0 victory over China’s Zhejiang Professional in their 2024/25 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two Group F opener on Thursday (19 September) night at the Jalan Besar Stadium in front of 2,468 fans.
With this victory, the Sailors added to their list of memorable wins in Asian football, having previously defeated notable teams such as South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Daegu FC, and Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC.
Ranko was delighted with his team after securing a vital win which puts them top of Group F after Matchday One, which also saw Thailand’s Port FC claim a late away victory over Indonesia’s Persib Bandung in the other group game.
“It’s a great feeling, especially playing at home in front of our fans,” he said. “We deserved this win and were solid throughout. Considering the chances we had, I think we outperformed our opponents. I’m very proud of the boys for digging deep to earn these three points. It’s just the start.”
Both teams came into this with contrasting fortunes – the Sailors are top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) following their 6-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United last weekend, while Zhejiang are seventh in the Chinese Super League (CSL), having won just one of their last seven domestic matches.
The Sailors made several changes to the starting line-up as Maxime, Toni Datković and Hami Syahin were named in the first eleven, while Zhejiang also had to rejig their team due to the suspension of several key players.
Nonetheless, it was the visitors who had the first notable chance of the game in the fourth minute, when full-back Liu Haofan’s attempt was deflected away by Christopher van Huizen.
A minute later, the Sailors offered a glimpse of what they were capable of when Lennart Thy, Maxime, and Bart Ramselaar played a triangle of passes between them, before the latter eventually shot over the bar after drifting into an offside position.
Both teams continued to feel each other out in what proved to be a cagey opening, before another beautiful passage of play in the 28th minute saw Lennart’s backheel find Bart, who shot straight into the hands of Zhejiang custodian Dong Chunyu.
Just past the half hour mark, Aleksandar Ranković’s side thought they had the lead after Lennart put the ball into the back of the net from a well-executed corner routine, but the linesman on the far side raised his flag for offside.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 44th minute. As the ball rolled along the edge of the Zhejiang box, Hariss pounced and fired a low shot into the bottom corner to give the Sailors the lead going into the break.
This was the Sailors captain’s first continental goal since 2017, when he scored for Home United against Ceres-Negros in the AFC Cup.
While Hariss was happy with his goal, he was quick to credit the entire team for contributing to the win.
“We’re used to the AFC Champions League, especially at home. It’s good to be able to play in this competition. I think it was pretty tight and everyone did their part,” he said.
Zhejiang started the second half on the front foot, but the Sailors – cheered on by the vocal home support – were able to withstand the pressure.
At the other end of the pitch, Chris was proving to be a threat in the final third – he first delivered a low cross into the box towards Bart, whose shot was blocked by Zhejiang centre-back Lucas Possignolo, before he had an attempt of his own in the 67th minute that had Dong worried, but ultimately came to nothing.
What was clear was that the Sailors had come into this match with a clear game plan – to hit Zhejiang on the break.
“We did a lot of work on counter attacks because we knew how they (Zhejiang) play,” Ranko admitted. “We also knew that in their competition (CSL) they conceded most goals out of transition. When you play in the ACL, you have to be really compact and wait for your chances. I think we executed the game plan very well.”
And the Sailors got their rewards for executing their game plan to perfection in the 79th minute.
Bart laid the ball out to the right for Maxime, who unleashed a peach of a strike that curled away from the Zhejiang goalkeeper and into the net for one of the Sailors’ best goals of the season so far.
Maxime, who has also scored in the UEFA Champions League for PSV Eindhoven against CSKA Moscow back in October 2015, revealed he was initially due to be subbed off, but he convinced Ranko to allow him to continue on for a few more minutes.
He said, “Five minutes before I scored, the coach wanted me to be substituted, but I asked him to wait a little bit. Thankfully, I scored! I’m happy with the goal, but also with the way we played. We played aggressively and we deserved to win.”
Skipper Hariss also acknowledged the importance of the Belgian attacker, as he said, “Maxime was the best player (on the night). It was a match where he gave us a bit of breathing space, and I think he was very consistent. We are really lucky and happy to have him in the team.”
Zhejiang kept pushing in search of a goal, and in the 88th minute, a long ball over the top found substitute Wang Yudong, but Izwan Mahbud made a smart save to keep his clean sheet intact.
With games coming thick and fast, the Sailors must swiftly shift their focus back to the SPL as they face fourth-placed Balestier Khalsa on Sunday (September 22).
As they continue their charge at the top of the table, Ranko has emphasised the importance of player recovery.
“We need to focus on Sunday’s league game. I must get my players ready to perform. We want to be champions of Singapore very badly this season, and my players love these kinds of challenges,” said Ranko.
An out-of-form Zhejiang Professional side will face the Lion City Sailors on Thursday (19 September) night in the 2024/25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) Two Group F opener, hoping to put their recent troubles behind them at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Not the best of seasons for Zhejiang
The Green Giants finished third in the 2023 Chinese Super League (CSL) to qualify for ACL Two, but have struggled to replicate that form this season. With 13 losses in 25 league matches and 50 goals conceded, Zhejiang now sit seventh in the 16-team CSL.
They have won just once in their last seven games, most recently losing 4-3 to title-chasing Shanghai Shenhua last Friday (13 September) after squandering a 2-0 lead. With five matches left, they are out of the race for continental qualification next season.
Zhejiang beset by suspensions
Zhejiang’s task will be made harder by having four players serving lengthy suspensions due to their involvement in a mass brawl during an ACL group game against Thailand’s Buriram United last November. Their biggest miss will be Brazilian hot shot Leonardo, who is the CSL’s third-highest scorer in 2024 with 18 goals to date – 11 behind Shanghai Port’s Wu Lei.
However, Zhejiang Head Coach Jordi Vinyals claims that they are solely focused on the players available for the game.
“We will only count on the players we have in the squad and focus on our starting eleven to achieve our objectives,” he said at the pre-match press conference.
“Last year was the first time after many years that we played in the ACL, and when you play at this level, you learn a lot. So we’ll take this opportunity again this year to try and learn as much as we can.”
Despite the absences of their key players, Zhejiang still boast quality within their ranks, including captain Franko Andrijašević, who has three caps for Croatia, Ivorian international Jean Evrard Kouassi, former Ajax Amsterdam youth player Deabeas Owusu-Sekyere, and midfielder Cheng Jin, who was recently called up to China’s squad for their September World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
As such, midfielder Qian Jiegei (Alexander N’Doumbou) believes his side can match the Sailors if they play at their best. The former Marseille midfielder said, “The Sailors are one of the top teams in Singapore. They have big players with experience at this level, and they play with good tempo and intensity, so we need to be at 100 percent to match them.”
Sailors looking to build on past ACL showings
This is the third consecutive season that the Sailors will represent Singapore in AFC club competitions, following their participation in the ACL over the past two years. While they are competing in the second-tier ACL Two this time around, Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković believes that the gap in quality between ACL Two and ACL Elite teams is minimal.
He said, “I think the quality of the teams in ACL Two is similar to that of the ACL Elite. If you look at the teams playing in ACL Two, we have two sides we faced in ACL last year — Bangkok United and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors — so there are still top teams here.
“The quality of the competition is quite high, and if you look at how these teams are performing in their domestic leagues, most are consistently among the top few.”
The ACL Two is just one of four competitions that the Sailors find themselves involved in this season, and Ranko admits that he will have to be careful in how he rotates his squad moving forward.
“We have four competitions this year, and if you include the youth players, we have around 18 to 20 players,” Ranko reflected. “It’s not a very big squad, so we’re managing the load carefully from game to game.
“Every match, we need to field a team that can get the result, while also ensuring the players don’t become overly fatigued or risk injury — because then we’d face major issues. It’s a big challenge for my staff, myself, and of course, for the players to perform under these conditions.”
Buoyed by a 6-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United that saw them leapfrog BG Tampines Rovers to go top last weekend, the Sailors will head into this game on a high and ready to get their ACL Two campaign off to a good start.
The Sailors delivered encouraging performances against Asia’s elite in the ACL over the past couple of years, highlighted by impressive victories over K League 1 sides Daegu FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in consecutive campaigns.
And Sailors captain Hariss Harun, Singapore’s top ACL appearance maker with 18 appearances, is looking forward to another promising campaign on the regional stage.
He said, “This is our third year playing in a regional competition. The past campaigns were tough, but we gained a lot of valuable experience, especially last year when we faced high-calibre teams that punished any mistakes or lapses in concentration.
“From a competitive standpoint, I believe we are at that level — we had some strong performances last year, and we aim to build on that this season, even though the format has changed slightly. The quality of opposition remains high, and we’re excited to get this campaign underway.”
For the past two seasons, the Lion City Sailors have proudly represented Singapore in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL), securing impressive victories over K-League 1 sides Daegu FC and two-time ACL champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
As the Sailors gear up for their third consecutive season in AFC club competitions, with their 2024/25 ACL Two campaign opener on Thursday (19 September) night against China’s Zhejiang Professional, attacker Maxime Lestienne remains hungry for more, and has set his sights on making history in the newly revamped second-tier club tournament in Asia.
“I know we’ve had good campaigns in the ACL previously; we achieved seven points in 2022, which was our best record, and we got six points in 2023. But we can still do more,” declared the 32-year-old, who has played in each of the Sailors’ 12 ACL games across the two campaigns.
“We have the quality to do something special in this competition. As long as we play and fight as a team, I think we have a chance to qualify for the knockout stages.
“We want to achieve this not just for ourselves and the club, but also for our chairman Forrest Li. He gives his best for everyone here, and he deserves something in return. I hope we can make him proud this season.”
Maxime’s strong belief in the team stems from the Sailors’ impressive performances in previous campaigns. To him, it is clear that playing against the region’s top clubs brings the best in the team.
“We went to Hong Kong and managed to beat their champions (Kitchee SC)… we lost to Jeonbuk in Korea, but when we played them in Singapore, we showed our mentality and intensity. With the fans behind us, we played a great game and showed what we can bring at this level,” said the Belgian, who has previously featured in the UEFA Champions League with PSV Eindhoven.
Looking ahead to this year’s revamped ACL Two tournament, where the Sailors are placed in Group F alongside 2023 Chinese Super League runners-up Zhejiang, 2023/24 Thai League 1 third-placed Port FC, and reigning Indonesia Liga 1 champions Persib Bandung, Maxime emphasised the importance of being solid as a unit to progress to the knockout stages.
“Honestly, I don’t care who we play, it’s still 11 vs 11. It’s a privilege to be playing in the ACL – as a club and as players, we live for these moments, and we have to leave everything on the pitch,” he said.
“Everyone must be at their best and be willing to push a bit more. At this level, we won’t have that many chances to score, so we have to be clinical in front of goal, and fight together for a clean sheet.”
The Sailors are often noted for their foreign A-listers with European pedigree, but Maxime believes that the local players are just as crucial to the team’s success.
“I cannot do everything alone; we’re a team. I can tell you, our best player in this team is Shawal (Anuar). He’s an amazing player and the things he can do is unbelievable,” the former Belgian youth international revealed.
“We’ve players like Hariss (Harun) and Hami (Syahin) – they do a lot for the team, but sometimes, their work is not seen. Of course, we have Song (Uiyoung) back this year – everyone saw what he did in the ACL (for the Sailors) two years ago, and he’s someone who always fights for the team.
“We need everyone in this squad, and I’m lucky to be teammates with these players.”
With confidence and excitement building for another season of competing with Asia’s best, Maxime has urged his team to represent Singapore football with pride.
He said, “Maybe there’ll be those who think playing a Singapore club will be easy, but it’s our job to show them that it’s not. We want to show to all of Asia our quality. It’s our responsibility to bring up the name of this club.”
