The Lion City Sailors are delighted to announce the signing of German-Cameroonian midfielder Tsiy Ndenge on a two-year deal, as the club continues to strengthen its squad for a busy 2025/26 campaign on both the domestic and continental fronts.
The 28-year-old joins after departing Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Club Zürich, and will add steel and stature to the Sailors’ midfield. Standing at 1.92m, Tsiy brings with him top-tier European experience and a commanding presence in the centre of the park.
Highly regarded for his technical ability and physicality, Tsiy was on the radar of several top European clubs – including Cagliari, FC Cologne, FC Copenhagen and AEK Athens – following the expiry of his contract with Grasshoppers on 30 June. He was ultimately swayed by the Sailors’ ambition and vision, and chose Singapore as the stage for his next chapter.
“I’ve had opportunities to continue in Europe, but what drew me to the Lion City Sailors was the clear ambition of the club and the project underway here,” said Tsiy. “It’s an exciting challenge and I like this feeling of helping a team achieve things that are not done before and create more history. I’m going to give everything to help this club succeed.”
A product of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s youth system, Tsiy spent four years with the club’s reserve side in Germany before making a move to the Netherlands with a loan spell at Eredivisie outfit Roda JC for the 2017/18 season, where he featured 32 times in the Dutch top flight.
He then made the switch to Swiss football, joining FC Luzern and spending four seasons there, before signing for Grasshopper Club Zürich in 2022. Over the next three years, Tsiy made 91 appearances for the Zurich side, emerging as one of their most influential players.
It was during his time at Grasshoppers that he truly came into his own, drawing plaudits for his athleticism, tactical intelligence and powerful box-to-box presence. His leadership qualities also came to the fore, as he wore the captain’s armband on several occasions over the past two seasons.
Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković hailed the signing: “Tsiy is a player of top calibre, who brings composure and power to the team and gives us a different dimension in midfield. His presence will not only help us control games, but also help elevate the standards of the players around him.”
Sailors Executive Director Bruce Liang added, “Tsiy was on the radar of some big clubs in Europe, so to have him choose the Sailors is a huge statement. What has impressed us is his attitude and hunger to win despite having already played at such a high level, and these are qualities that will rub off on the team.”
Having started training with the Sailors this week, Tsiy is already looking forward to help the club push for success in multiple competitions – including the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two, the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, and the defence of their Singapore Premier League (SPL) crown.
“I’ve already watched some of the club’s games last season and spoke to people in and around the team,” said Tsiy, who has been capped for Germany at Under-20 level. “There’s already a strong foundation here with some great players, and I’m here to help us take that next step in Asia.”
