Author: Lion City Sailors
The Lion City Sailors bounced back from an Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) opening Group F defeat to Bangkok United to see off Kitchee SC 2-1 on Wednesday (4 October) night.
Aleksandar Ranković’s men turned in a brave performance in front of 3,077 fans at the Hong Kong Stadium – including around 50 supporters from Singapore – to pick up all three points to get their ACL campaign back on track.
Travelling Sailors fans comprised members of The Crew and the Special Operations Team, which was formed by 10 winners of an all-expenses paid trip giveaway in last week’s Sailors’ social media drive.
The contingent made themselves heard even though they were part of the minority, drumming and chanting from the Hong Kong Stadium’s South Stand, before expressing their wild delight at the end.
It was a second consecutive win for Ranko and his charges after a 7-0 victory over Balestier Khalsa in their Group B Singapore Cup opener last Monday (25 September).
It was the perfect way for Ranko’s Sailors to recover from the 2-1 loss to Bangkok on 20 September, as goals from Richairo Živković and Maxime Lestienne helped the Sailors move into third in the Group F standings.
Bangkok jumped to the top of the standings after they surprised Asian football fans with a 3-2 home win over two-time ACL winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in a match also played on Wednesday night (4 Oct).
Ranko was pleased with how his side represented Singapore throughout the 90 minutes of the match.
“I’m very happy with the performance. We came here to take the three points and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.
“We played a little more offensive today compared to what we managed against Bangkok, but it also had to do with the opponents. We did exactly what we wanted to do tactically.”
The start of the match was closely contested, but a quick passage of play from back to front saw the Sailors take an early lead in the 14th minute.
Three passes was all it took as Rui Pires spread the ball out wide to Christopher van Huizen, whose left-footed cross was diverted by Kitchee skipper Helio Goncalves into Richi’s path.
The Curaçaon international pounced on the loose ball and sent a first-time finish past Kitchee custodian Paulo Cesar for his first goal in the ACL.
The goal was Richi’s tenth for the club since joining in July.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between but the Sailors doubled their lead in the 37th minute.
Maxime was brought down by Kitchee midfielder Ogenyi Onazi with referee Yoshimi Yamashita awarding a free kick outside the box. But the video assistant referee (VAR) overturned the decision and awarded a penalty instead, which Maxime duly dispatched past Cesar.
Ranko, who held his head in his hands as the Belgian stepped up, exploded in wild celebration with his coaching staff as Maxime gave the Sailors a two-goal cushion.
Diego had a chance to cap off an impressive first-half, but his 40th minute close-range shot came off the post, this after a clever pass from Maxime.
Man-of-the-match Maxime, who has enjoyed a stellar domestic football season that saw him record 25 goals and 21 assists, credited the team for the superb first 45 minutes in Hong Kong.
“We listened to the coach and did what we needed to do. The first half was great for us and we played really well,” said the 31-year-old winger, who missed last week’s Singapore Cup win over Balestier through suspension.
“I’m very happy with the goal, it increases my confidence and I just want to keep on trying my best and make a difference for the team.”
Kitchee started the second half with higher intensity, searching for a way back into the game, but the Sailors stood firm, sitting deeper to absorb the pressure while looking to capitalise.
The home side had to settle for shots from long range and acute angles, while the Sailors remained organised, sticking to Ranko’s game plan.
But Kitchee finally found their breakthrough in the 87th minute through substitute Jakob Jantscher. The 34-year-old directed a header into the bottom corner of Zharfan Rohaizad’s goal to score a goal that set up a grandstand finish.
But it was too little too late for Kitchee as the Sailors held on for the Singapore side’s first win of this ACL campaign, though not without a nervy finish. Ruslan Mingazov found himself in a prime position to score four minutes into stoppage time, only to see his shot trickle wide of Zharfan’s goal.
Ranko praised his charges’ stout defending on an important night on the Sailors’ second foray into Asia’s top tier club competition.
“We were very tight defensively. Everybody in the squad gave their 100 percent and that’s one of our strengths, we have a very tightly-knit group of players and they’re eager to work for each other.” he said.
The Sailors will face Tanjong Pagar United next in the Singapore Cup at the Bishan Stadium on 21 October, before jetting off to South Korea to take on Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the ACL four days later.
On 29 September, just five days before a crunch Group F Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) clash against the Lion City Sailors, swirling winds of change picked up speed at Kitchee SC, resulting in a new head coach appointed in place of Alex Chu.
Chu is a legendary figure at the club who served as head coach in several spells and just last season, led Kitchee to a treble. He was switched to the youth development side of things at Kitchee Academy, with technical director, Kim Dong-jin, appointed as the interim head honcho.
Kim, a former South Korean international, had previously served as assistant coach of the club since 2019 and also had an excellent prior stint as interim head coach in 2021, masterminding 11 wins in 15 games.
Kim’s rousing start
Just one day after his appointment, Kim led the team to a 6-2 win over Resources Capital in the first round of the Hong Kong Sapling Cup and the 41-year-old is bullish ahead of his first ACL match in charge.
“It’s such an honour to be able to coach this team. I’ve been with the team for a few years so I’m already familiar with the players,” said the defender who has 62 South Korean caps.
“The Lion City Sailors are one of the best teams in the Singapore (Premier) League with some really good attacking players so our defensive organisation has to be very strong.
“But this is our home game and we have a strong team filled up with quality players in every position. We’re very determined to win this game and get the three points,” added Kim.
A respectful confidence
When asked if Kitchee was the team that represented the Sailors’ best chance of securing three points in a challenging Group F, Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković remained stoic.
“It would be very disrespectful of my opponent if I put them in a category below or above us. In this group, all four teams stand a chance,” said the 45-year-old.
“Kitchee did a pretty good job against a South Korean team on Matchday 1 in a narrow 2-1 away defeat to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors; and we did quite well although we lost against Bangkok United. So I think both teams are on the same level.”
“I know they changed coaches recently – that sometimes can be a disadvantage but also can be an advantage as well. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but we’ve done everything we could to prepare and we’re going into this game with good confidence.”
Hong Kong’s dream run in the Asian Games
With media attention pulled towards the Hangzhou Asian Games, the pre-match press conference was a low-key affair with only three reporters in attendance including one from Singapore online publication, Grandstand Singapore.
The Hong Kong Under-23 football team is on a historic run into the Asian Games semi-finals and will face Japan at 6pm tonight (4 October), just two hours before the Kitchee-Sailors clash.
The Singapore U23 team is not participating in the Asian Games.
One of Kitchee’s rising stars, Poon Pui Hin, will miss the ACL game, as he is instead flying the country’s flag high – it was his goal that sank Iran 1-0 in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Nonetheless, Kitchee are determined to put on a good show in what will be their first home ACL fixture in five and a half years. ACL games were played at a centralised venue in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic, so the last time the Bluebirds hosted an ACL game was a 1-0 loss to China’s Tianjin Tianhai in April 2018.
Big names in a big game for both sides
While Hong Kong reporters were intrigued by Sailors old boy Kim Shin-wook possibly coming up against his former club, the attention turned to the quality present throughout Kitchee’s frontline.
Turkmenistan international and former Slavia Pravia winger Ruslan Mingazov, who was in attendance at the evening’s press conference, was Hong Kong Player of the Year last season with 17 goals in 18 games.
Ex-Sturm Graz striker Jakob Jantscher featured for Austria at the UEFA Euro 2016 and midfielder Ogenyi Onazi used to play in the Italian Serie A with Lazio. Brazilian attacker Mikael, who scored a hat-trick over the weekend, netted an audacious overhead kick in the 2-1 loss to Jeonbuk with that goal voted as one of the best goals of Matchweek 1.
But the Sailors are unfazed.
“It’ll be a big game in front of an away crowd, but we’ve got players who’ve played in Europe and local players who’ve played many big matches with the Singapore national team so I’m sure we can cope with the pressure,” said midfielder Rui Pires.
“We learnt from our last game that we need to stay focused for 90 or 95 minutes when they play against the best teams in Asia.
“The boys are very hungry and eager, there’s so much positive energy amongst the team right now. We know that we’re representing not just the club, but also Singapore on this stage so we’re going to give everything in this game.”
In Battlegrounds Asia, we look into the history and lore of the stadiums that will host the Lion City Sailors’ second foray into the AFC Champions League, Asia’s top-tier club competition.
First up in this series, we look at the iconic Hong Kong Stadium, where the Sailors will face Kitchee SC in their first away fixture of Group F.
Located in the heart of Causeway Bay, one of Hong Kong’s most energetic neighbourhoods lined with luxury malls, boutiques, and numerous dining options, lies the aptly-named Hong Kong Stadium. It is where the Lion City Sailors will battle Kitchee SC in matchday 2 in Group F of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL).
The Stadium – known as Hong Kong’s main sports venue – was redeveloped from the Old Government Stadium and took on its new identity when it officially reopened in early 1994.
The 40,000-seater Stadium was meant to be a multi-purpose entertainment venue, with Hong Kong music icon Alan Tam the first local artist to hold a concert there in April 1994 before fellow Canto-pop legend Sam Hui Koon-kit followed suit in December 2007. However, its open-air nature led to noise complaints from nearby residents and it has rarely been allowed to host entertainment events ever since.
Hong Kong’s Rugby DNA
Instead, the Stadium is now internationally renowned for hosting the annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in spring every year, hosting rugby greats the likes of Jonah Lomu and David Campes while inspiring a thriving sevens world series and the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics.
The most recent edition was held between 30 March to 2 April this year, with New Zealand beating Fiji 24-19 to win the competition. The Stadium also hosted the Rugby World Cup Sevens twice, in 1997 and 2005.
With the stadium located on either end of sweeping views of a lush hillside and the city’s vertical urban landscape, it has grown into a flagship destination for overseas Rugby Sevens fans.
A dash of the English Premier League
For the same reason, it has been the go-to venue for marquee football matches in Hong Kong – especially for exhibition matches involving top English Premier League (EPL) clubs.
The pre-season Premier League Asia Trophy has been held there four times in 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2017 – with Kitchee SC and South China AA amongst the local competing teams.
One-off friendlies were also held there twice between Kitchee and EPL opposition. In May 2017, the Bluebirds fell 4-1 to Tottenham Hotspur with current Spurs captain Son Heung-min and the now-departed Harry Kane on the scoresheet. Then in July 2019, they lost 6-1 to Manchester City with Law Tsz Chun – who is still at the club – scoring the solitary goal for Kitchee.
Local football flavour
The first full-house official match there came in October 2009 when local side South China came up against Kuwait SC in the second leg of the 2009 AFC Cup but failed to progress to the final.
In December the same year, there was another full house (all tickets sold or distributed) with Hong Kong’s Under-23 side memorably beating Japan on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time to win their first-ever international title in the East Asian Games.
The venue has also hosted many international matches involving the Hong Kong national team, with the most recent one being in September 2023 when they put 10 goals past Brunei in a friendly match.
While Kitchee usually play their domestic football matches at Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong Stadium is their designated home ground for ACL matches.
Kitchee fans would recall a magical moment there in March 2018 when Uruguayan legend Diego Forlan teed up Cheng Chin Lung for a stunning injury time winner in 1-0 upset of Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol – in what turned out to be a first-ever victory by a Hong Kong club in the ACL.
That was also voted as the best goal of the competition that year.
Set against a scenic backdrop and a stadium jam-packed with memorable sporting action over the years, the Sailors will be hoping to create history of our own when we take on Kitchee at the arena on Wednesday night.
There are 10 Lion City Sailors players named in Takayuki Nishigaya’s 25-strong Singapore National Team’s squad which will face Guam in a two-legged playoff during the October FIFA international window. The playoff is Round 1 of the joint qualification process for both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Lions captain Hariss Harun along with nine others – Lionel Tan, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Christopher van Huizen, M. Anumanthan, Hafiz Nor, Hami Syahin, Adam Swandi, Shawal Anuar, as well as custodian Zharfan Rohaizad – kept their places after being named in the squad for the September friendlies against Tajikistan and Chinese Taipei.
After striking double digits in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) in a strong debut season with the Sailors, the in-form Shawal will be relishing the opportunity to do the same against Guam – he is just one away from hitting the 10-goal mark for the Lions.
The 32-year-old, who also scored a memorable goal against Tottenham Hotspur in July, has emerged as the most important attacker in Nishigaya’s ranks in the last couple of years. Eight out of his nine goals for the Lions came in his last 10 international appearances.
Zulqarnaen is similarly aiming to build on an encouraging 2023 campaign in which he has already made 20 appearances in all competitions for the Sailors.
Now on 23 caps, involvement in both Guam games will mean he will hit 25 international appearances for the Lions.
The first leg will be played at the Singapore Sports Hub’s National Stadium on Thursday, 12 October, with the return leg taking place five days later at the GFA National Training Center in Harmon, Guam.
The winner over these two legs will go on to Round 2 of the Qualifiers where they will be placed in Group C along with China, South Korea and Thailand.
The result might not be what he had wanted, but scoring what is the Lion City Sailors’ first Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) goal on Singapore soil is one that will be etched firmly in Diego Lopes’ memory.
A signature cross from full-back Christopher Van Huizen was only partially cleared by Bangkok United captain, Everton Goncalves, falling perfectly for his fellow countryman in White and Blue – and Diego showed no hesitation, pouncing to slam home.
“It’s always good to score a goal but scoring a goal at home, in front of the cheering crowd, it’s definitely much better,” said the Sailors no. 10.
That fond memory was still not enough to forget the frustrations from that night, which saw the Sailors ultimately fall 2-1 to the Thai League 1 leaders in their opening Group F fixture at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
But ahead of a trip to face reigning Hong Kong Premier League Champions, Kitchee SC, on Wednesday (4 October), the Singapore Premier League’s (SPL) record signing remains confident that the Sailors have a talented squad with enough ability and firepower to compete at the highest level in the region.
“We have a competitive team that can play and win games in this competition. We just need 100% concentration from the start to the final minute,” he said.
Indeed, just a quick glance at the Sailors’ maiden voyage into the ACL last year is enough to remind the team the defeat to Bangkok United does not mean the dream is over.
The 2022 ACL campaign also began with a defeat, a 4-1 loss at the hands of eventual champions Urawa Red Diamonds, but two wins and a draw later, that same voyage ended with a historic 7 points finish.
The team has since set its sights on surpassing that tally in 2023, a feat that will likely be required for the team to advance to the next round.
“Last year, it was generally a good campaign for us, being there for the first time, rubbing shoulders with some of the big boys in Asia, achieving some credible results.”
“So this year, we want to see progress,” said team captain Hariss Harun.
“There’s a reason why it’s called the Champions League. The teams are all there on merit and they deserve to play in this competition, so we have to show that we’re amongst the best.”
Keeping their eyes on the ultimate prize of qualification for the Round of 16 will be essential for the Sailors, but the road ahead is not a straightforward one.
One of the many challenges the team will face is the need to cope with daunting atmospheres at away grounds.
This obstacle is one that Hariss has experienced throughout his career, be it captaining the Singapore national team, as or in the Malaysia Super League with LionsXII and Johor Darul Ta’zim.
“I think it’s something that you relish as a player. You don’t just look forward to playing at home in front of your own fans but also away, in front of a massive crowd in a hostile environment, to test yourself and how you handle the pressure,” he said.
Diego, who comes with a wealth of experience playing in countries like Portugal and Brazil, is also no stranger to intimidating away match atmospheres.
“Going away to play an away match where we play against their crowd, their supporters, we will definitely have to be more mature and focused,” he said.
The Sailors will definitely be looking to bring the momentum from the 7-0 victory in their Singapore Cup Group B opener against Balestier Khalsa to the Hong Kong Stadium against Kitchee.
And Diego, who recorded a hat trick against the Tigers, is prepared to do everything he can to help the Sailors to their first ACL victory of 2023.
“Of course, scoring goals is good but that’s not my main objective. My main objective is to play well and help the team. If I don’t score and the team wins that’s really okay – actually it’s perfectly fine because the most important thing is to get that win.
“And that’s what we’re aiming for on Wednesday in Hong Kong.”
They were held to a 3-3 draw by Balestier Khalsa in their Singapore Cup opener in October last year, but there was no repeat of that on Monday (25 September) as the Lion City Sailors comfortably dispatched the Tigers 7-0 at Bishan Stadium to get their 2023 Singapore Cup Group B campaign up and running.
Richairo Živković and Diego Lopes bagged a hat-trick each, while Adam Swandi also got his name on the scoresheet as the Sailors bounced back in style following their narrow Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) opening day 2-1 defeat to Bangkok United last Wednesday (20 Sept).
The result meant the Sailors top Group B after the first matchday, ahead of second-placed Tanjong Pagar who defeated Hougang United 2-1 in the other group game.
The absence of top scorer Maxime Lestienne through suspension seemed to matter little to the Sailors. It took them just three minutes to get their noses in front, with Diego setting up Richi to fire past Balestier custodian Hairul Syirhan from a tight angle.
The men in blue went two goals up on 11 minutes after Richi lashed home into the bottom corner after being teed up by Shawal Anuar.
Diego then got his first of the night with a neatly-curled effort in the 19th minute, before getting his second with an easy finish off a rebound after Hafiz Nor’s shot was parried into his path six minutes later.
Richi would complete his first-half hat-trick in the 36th minute, latching onto another Diego pass before calmly slotting it into the far corner to make it 5-0.
It was his first hat-trick in Sailors colours – one that the Curaçaon forward was pleased with.
“It’s a nice feeling and I personally felt that I had a great game today. I liked how the team played, putting pressure on Balestier from the get-go and dominating the game throughout,” said the 27-year-old, who has already netted a total of nine goals in all competitions since joining in the mid-season transfer window.
The Sailors continued from where they left off, extending their advantage less than a minute after the game resumed for the second half.
Shawal’s cross was chested down by Richi into the path of Diego, whose firm drive found the back of the net for the goal that gave him his second Sailors hat-trick.
The Brazilian’s first came in a 8-0 thumping of Geylang International in April 2021.
With an eye on their ACL away clash against Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC on Wednesday (4 October), Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković rang the changes shortly thereafter.
In came the likes of midfielder Adam shortly after the hour mark, as well as Harith Kanadi who replaced Chris van Huizen at left-back in the 71st minute for what was his Sailors debut.
“We did everything we could to finish the tie as soon as possible and I was pleased to be able to make some changes ahead of a tougher opponent next week,” noted Ranko.
Adam grabbed the game’s final goal with 15 minutes remaining, with an unstoppable shot that arrowed into the bottom corner for his fourth goal in all competitions this year.
Speaking after the game, Ranko heaped praise on his charges for a job well done.
“I was happy with the way we played, especially with how we scored in the first-half. We were effective and the game was done and dusted by then,” said the Serb.
“I don’t like to single out anyone for praise as it will be unfair to the rest of the team. I must say that the players, even those who started on the bench, put in a good shift when they came in which gives me a good headache as a coach.”
Ranko was meanwhile, happy with what he saw from goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, who kept a clean sheet on his first Sailors start since November 2022.
“I was very satisfied with Izwan’s performance today and it’s nice to see him getting back to play at this level,” Ranko said of the 33-year-old, who returned after a lengthy layoff from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
“With Izwan and Zharfan (Rohaizad), I’m delighted to have two quality goalkeepers at my disposal and it’s going to be a tough challenge, especially for my goalkeeper coaches.”
The Sailors will next face Kitchee at the Hong Kong Stadium, before taking on Tanjong Pagar United in their second Singapore Cup Group B match on 21 October.
Just five days after the team’s opening Group F fixture in the 2023/24 Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL), the Lion City Sailors will kick off their 2023 Singapore Cup campaign this Monday (25 September) with their first Group B fixture against Balestier Khalsa at Bishan Stadium.
While the 2-1 battling loss to Thai League 1 leaders Bangkok United was disappointing, the Sailors have little time to wallow.
They suffered a disappointing Singapore Cup debut last year, failing to progress out of the group stages. A focused performance will provide the Sailors the best chance at redemption, to claim the other senior domestic trophy still missing from the trophy cabinet at Mattar Road.
“It wasn’t the result that we wanted last year, the fans expected us to do better. They demand a lot from us and that’s a good pressure, it keeps us driving forward,” said Haiqal Pashia, who was part of the Sailors’ Class of 2022.
In stark contrast, last year’s cup campaign was most definitely one to remember for Lionel Tan. The defender was part of the Hougang United side that went the distance and lifted the trophy, claiming the first major trophy in Cheetahs history.
Now with the Sailors, the 26-year-old hopes that he can forge similar memories with the team, and is confident that a win in the opening match against Bishan neighbours, Balestier, will be invaluable to the team’s cup campaign.
“We have to fight for this Singapore Cup and get silverware, that’s important for us to boost the team’s morale,” he said.
“I believe starting on the right foot in the first game will put us in an ideal position to try and do that.”
For Pashia, the Singapore Cup is an important opportunity to bring home some silverware in the 2023 season.
“We need to redeem ourselves. Everyone expects us, especially when they hear the name ‘Sailors’, they expect us to take this cup home,” said the 24-year-old.
While their memories of the 2022 campaign may be strikingly different, both teammates are united in their belief on two aspects: the ultimate goal is to help the team win the competition, and that their first challenge on Monday against Balestier, will not be a walk in the park.
The Sailors may have won all three league encounters against the Tigers in 2023, but Balestier have proven to be formidable opponents, breaking down defences across the league with their attacking prowess as they powered to an impressive fourth-place finish in the SPL.
The Sailors were also not spared from Balestier’s offensive capabilities, conceding a staggering six goals in the Round 2 and 3 fixtures against the Tigers, which ended in 5-4 and 5-2 victories respectively.
But the Sailors remain confident of starting their Singapore Cup campaign with three points.
“Balestier is not an easy team, especially (with) their attacking ability, they can give us some problems at the back, but I think we are confident that we can manage that,” said Pashia.
“We just have to be focused from the beginning and capitalise on our chances.”
These thoughts were echoed by Lionel, who is also confident that the Sailors have the tools needed to kick off their cup campaign with an important victory.
“I think we’ll put up a very good fight, and we’ll be there with our best to get the three points.”
Five minutes into injury time in the Lion City Sailors’ final Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture against Geylang International, he made his presence felt.
With a trivela pass that is fast becoming his trademark, he teed up Haiqal Pashia for the game-clinching goal in the 3-1 win, and with that became what is believed to be the youngest player to pick up an assist in the SPL.
Nathan Mao is just 15 years old and 181 days old but is already one of the shining lights of the Sailors Academy – he made history earlier in March by becoming the SPL’s youngest-ever debutant at 15 years and 5 days old and now has also been included in the Sailors’ squad for the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) campaign.
Nathan believes that a key factor behind his rapid rise is the fact that he has been embedded in the Sailors setup since its 2020 inception.
“When I first joined the academy, I never thought that one day I could become the SPL’s youngest-ever debutant or go anywhere near achieving such a record. A lot of my progress is down to the good work of the coaches here. Every year, they bring in even more quality coaches to guide and help the boys here,” he said.
“Over in this Academy, there’s really a proper pathway for Academy trainees to make the step up and be integrated into the first team – making sure we’re ready for professional football and not feel too much pressure at the same time.”
The supportive platform has empowered him to propel himself towards his footballing dreams, and now put him on the cusp of playing against some of Asia’s biggest teams in the ACL.
In April 2022, he was watching the likes of Diego Lopes and Maxime Lestienne weaving their magic on the continental stage and feeling inspired by their exploits on the Sailors’ maiden voyage into the continent. Little did he know that just over a year later, he would be part of the Sailors’ first-team squad that was headed for its second ACL adventure.
“It means a lot to me to be representing the Sailors first team in an international competition at this age. I’m aware that not a lot of people of my age would have the chance or experience to play in such a reputable competition, so I’m not taking this for granted,” said Nathan.
“I’m excited at possibly playing against top-tier teams and to push myself and see where I’m at as compared to these overseas players.”
He made Head Coach Aleksandar Rankovic’s Matchday 1 squad in the 2-1 defeat to Thailand’s Bangkok United and became the youngest player to be named in an ACL matchday squad since 2012 – at 15 years and 178 days old, surpassing Suphanat Mueanta (15y 203d for Buriram v Jeju United in Feb 2018) according to Opta Sports.
That has added even more fuel to his fiery drive.
“I’m very motivated and working very hard to show Coach what I can do. Hopefully I’ll get to play some minutes in the upcoming games and I’m going to give my all whenever I get onto the pitch,” he said.
He broke into the Sailors first team this season and already has three appearances under his belt in a 2023 season that has been a breakthrough year for Nathan. But he is also under no illusions that this upward trajectory will continue indefinitely into the future.
“It’s really cool to be able to share a dressing room with great players like Diego and Max, but I’m not thinking that I’ve already made it. If you look at it in perspective, this is probably just the start of my career,” he said.
Nathan acknowledges – somewhat reluctantly – that he is now a beacon for the Sailors Academy and is aware that his exploits will inspire the next generation of trainees, and could well shape decisions that will impact their development.
“I know what’s at stake whenever I go onto the pitch and I’m relishing this responsibility to make the Academy proud. But I also know it’s not just about me – there are many other players with potential in this Academy.
“I’m sharing my little experiences with the first team to help them. At the same time, they’re also hungry and inspired to make the step up and show their ability at a higher level.
“That’s a hunger that I share – I just want to keep on pushing to get better every single year.”
“We didn’t deserve to lose.”
That was the candid assessment of Lion City Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković after a 2-1 defeat to Bangkok United in their Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) 2023/24 Group F opener.
It was a sentiment that seemed to be shared by many of the 2,927 spectators at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night (20 September). After all, the Sailors had more than given the visitors a run for their money – on a night of continental football graced by the presence of Singapore’s ninth Head of State, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam – and could have taken all three points on another day.
But Ranko’s men paid the price for two lapses in concentration: one from a set-piece, and another from a failure to track the running man in midfield.
“We did our best today, and of course we are sad about the result. We cannot concede easy goals, especially from set-pieces,” Sailors midfielder Diego Lopes said. “In this competition, against the level of players we faced today, you must be 100 percent focused throughout the 90 minutes.
“But overall, I think we did well, and we had several good chances to score. We cannot beat ourselves up over the loss. We’ll just have to take this defeat as a learning experience, and go again in the next game.”
Starting with five at the back, the Sailors’ game plan was clear from the first whistle: be defensively disciplined, keep their tactical shape, and pick their opportunities to hit Bangkok United on the transition.
It worked a treat, as even though Bangkok United dominated possession in the opening stages of the game, they were unable to break through the resolute Sailors’ defensive shape, with goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad barely having anything to do for long periods.
Indeed, it was the home team that appeared more threatening when going forward.
In the 17th minute, striker Richairo Živković created the first significant chance of the game with a curled effort, forcing Bangkok United goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai to make an exceptional fingertip save.
Just two minutes later, Diego found an opening behind the Bangkok United defence from a throw-in, but couldn’t find the target with his shot from a tight angle.
Diego finally broke the deadlock five minutes later, as he pounced on a loose ball in the box and rifled home a first-time half-volley that nestled into the bottom corner of the net for his second-ever ACL goal.
The first one came back in the Sailors’ maiden ACL voyage when the Sailors remarkably defeated K League 1 side Daegu FC 3–0 last April.
While the Sailors were able to comfortably keep Bangkok United at bay for the remainder of the half, the Thai outfit emerged from the break with renewed intent, and looked more threatening from the outset.
Their endeavour eventually paid off in the 52nd minute when a well-delivered corner to the back post found captain Everton, who rose highest to head home the equaliser.
Galvanised by the goal, Bangkok United continued to push forward in search of a second goal.
It took all of 11 minutes for them to find it, as midfielder Thitiphan Puangchan received the ball – with time and space – at the edge of the box, before firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net.
Now needing a goal to rescue something from the game, the Sailors adopted a more attacking approach, and began to put Bangkok United under real pressure.
And the Sailors thought they scored the equaliser in the 71st minute when defender Manuel Herrera López (Súper) headed home from a free-kick. However, the assistant referee flagged Súper for offside – a decision that was upheld following a check by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
While the Sailors continued to threaten – with substitute Shawal Anuar coming close to scoring on several occasions – the second goal just would not come for the hosts, as Bangkok United held firm to secure their maiden ACL victory.
Despite the defeat, Ranko insisted there were plenty of positives he could take out from the game.
“’We’re all disappointed with the loss, but I’m proud of my boys because they did a tremendous job in this game,” Ranko declared. “Especially in the first-half, we were tight, and didn’t give Bangkok United many chances.
“They (Bangkok United) have many good, experienced players, but we demonstrated our competitiveness and showed everyone what we’re made of.”
Explaining his decision to go with a back-five, rather than to use the more familiar 4-3-3 formation, Ranko said: “In this type of competition you’re going to need an extra man behind to keep things compact, especially when we lose the ball.
“We knew that teams like Bangkok United would have more of the ball, but that was not a problem for us. Just look at the first-half, we had less possession but still managed to score, and could have made it 2-0 or 3-0 if we took our chances.
“Of course, when we went 2-1 down, I changed it back to our standard 4-3-3 formation as we had to take more risk and throw more players up front. Unfortunately, it was not enough to change the result.”
The Sailors will next take on Balestier Khalsa in the Singapore Cup at the Bishan Stadium next Monday evening (25 September), before returning to ACL action with an away game against Kitchee SC in Hong Kong on 4 October.
Bangkok United wary of Sailors challenge
They are one of the in-form teams of the Thai League 1 (T1) so far this season, with three wins and a draw from their first four games.
But while Bangkok United might be flying high domestically – they are currently top of the T1 – Head Coach Totchtawan Sripan is well-aware that his team will encounter a different challenge in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL).
That is why the former Thai international is keen to keep his team grounded as they prepare for their opening ACL match against the Lion City Sailors at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday (20 September).
Totchtawan, who led Bangkok United to the Thai Champions Cup with a 2-0 win over Buriram United last month, said he expects a tough game.
“Ever since we found out that we would have to play the Sailors, we’ve been working to get information about them,” Totchawan revealed. “We know that they are one of the biggest teams in Singapore, and they have a lot of quality players.
“Maxime (Lestienne) and Richairo (Živković) are very good, high-quality foreign players, and the Sailors also have a lot of Singapore National Team players that we have to look out for. We’ll definitely have to be at our best to get three points against them.”
But the Bangkok Angels are no slouches themselves, and their recent run of good form is no fluke.
Last season’s Thai FA Cup runners-up boasts a strong squad which includes six current Thai internationals in midfielder Thitiphan Puangchan, defenders Peerapat Notchaiya and Nitipong Selanon, wingers Rungrath Poomchantuek and Pokklaw Anan, as well as goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai.
The quality of the team is augmented by Swedish-born Palestinian winger Mahmoud Eid, who has already notched an impressive three assists and three goals this season.
For many of the players, however, this will be their first time playing in the ACL – the last time Bangkok United qualified for the group stages of the competition was in 2007. Known as Bangkok University back then, they finished bottom of their group without a win.
As such, Bangkok United captain Everton believes that the team will be extra motivated to get off to a good start against the Sailors.
“Everyone has been waiting for this moment, and we’re all really excited to play our first match,” the Brazilian centre-back said. “We’ve been training hard and preparing well for this game. The Sailors have very good players, but we have quality in our team as well, so it’ll hopefully be a great game and we’ll come out with the win.”
Incidentally, this match will be the first time that Totchawan is returning to Singapore after 20 years, with the 51-year-old previously turning out for the now-defunct Sembawang Rangers between 1998 to 2003.
Much has changed since, including the re-turfing of the Jalan Besar Stadium from natural grass into an artificial pitch.
Admitting that it may take some time for his players to get used to playing on artificial turf, Totchawan said: “We’ve been playing on natural grass, and we don’t have much time to get used to an artificial pitch.
“But my coaching staff has been giving information about how it’s like playing on artificial grass, and we might make certain tactical adjustments (to cope), but hopefully we can adapt to the pitch quickly.”
Everton added that the artificial turf will likely give the Sailors an advantage, as he explained: “They’re used to playing on these sorts of pitches, but not us. I previously played one tournament in Brazil (on artificial grass), so I’ve been telling the rest of the players that when you play on such a pitch, you cannot wait for the ball, because its movement can be unpredictable, and it’s easy to make mistakes if you’re not careful.”
Nonetheless, while the Sailors might have the home ground advantage, Totchawan has called on his players to step up on Wednesday and seize the opportunity to make both club and country proud.
“As Bangkok United, we not only represent the club, but also our country,” Totchawan said. “So, we’ll do our best and make it a historic day for the club by winning our first ACL game. We want to make everyone back home proud, and get our ACL campaign off to the best start.”
