Author: Lion City Sailors
In the spirit of International Women’s Day (IWD) which is celebrated annually across the globe on 8 March, we delve into the lives and experiences of our Sailors Women to better understand their struggles, challenges and inspirations as they make their mark in what is a male-dominated Singapore football industry.
In the second of a special three-part IWD series, we turn the spotlight on Huong Tran and Carolyn Chia – the team manager and operations manager in charge of the Lion City Sailors first team.
It is some three hours away from kick-off on a Singapore Premier League matchday, and Bishan Stadium is bustling.
The emcee’s voice booms over the speakers as flag-bearers line up in the tunnel, running over the very steps they would take later, when Hariss Harun and his Lion City Sailors would line up behind them, game faces on.
But even this far away from kick-off, game faces are already on everywhere across the stadium.
Out on the track, with one finger on the ear-piece plugged into her left ear and a clipboard in her right arm, Carolyn Chia stands with her back straight, eyes trained upwards towards the stands that are hive of activity.
She doesn’t realise it, but her game face only breaks – into a broad smile – when her arm is touched by a petite figure whose ponytail was still swinging to a stop.
The ponytailed Huong Tran, the team manager in charge of day-to-day administration and logistics for staff and players of the Sailors first team, had just arrived at Bishan. The synergy between the Huong and Carolyn is all too evident, and decked in the similar simple dark uniforms of Sailors staff, the pair look like every other cog in the club machinery at Bishan.
But they are hardly mere cogs. Simply put, both Carolyn, the Club Operations Manager, and Huong are integral to the operations of the Sailors – the heartbeat of the club – and in what is a male dominated Singapore football industry, the two have had to make some adjustments, including putting up with raised eyebrows every now and then.
“I believe women can inject new and fresh elements into football and we all have a part to play. Things have changed so much that it is not so gender-oriented now, so women don’t need to be afraid to step into this industry,” said Carolyn.
One key facet of Carolyn’s responsibilities is ensuring that Sailors’ home games run smoothly: from VIP registration to fan posters and banners, even broadcast matters, she is essentially on the frontline of the overall match-experience at Bishan. This also includes safeguarding the club from falling foul of SPL competition regulations.
With almost 20 years of experience in events management and sports development, Carolyn has been an asset to the Sailors since coming onboard in February 2022, this despite the fact that the Sailors is her first football-centric role in her field.
Huong on the other hand, is firmly entrenched in football, but continues to apply the same fearless approach Carolyn alluded to, to firmly establish herself in the sport, and indeed, at the Sailors.
“You have to feel comfortable in a dressing room setting with all the strong characters and not feel shy just because they’re changing in front of you. The players have started to observe more decorum when I’m around, and now they are very comfortable with me because they treat me like a sister or a mother,” said Huong.
“I know there aren’t many women in Asia taking on the team manager role, but it’s really all about how you talk to the players and earn their trust. I always say that to do such a job, you need to embrace the manly characteristics within yourself,” added the 39-year-old.
“The most important thing is that players feel your sincerity. Whenever they need help, I always try to see things from their viewpoint and try to help. Of course all these things take time – for them to warm up to you and share their real issues.”
This is Huong’s first time working at a football club, but she has been in and around the sport for 18 years, wearing different hats, and even then, she believes she continues to learn more every day.
Her journey into the sport started in 2005, as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 21-year-old who volunteered to be the Liaison Officer (LO) for the Singapore women’s football team who were participating in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Championship in her native Vietnam.
Huong later served as a competitions officer for the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for three years and worked her way up to become a Match Commissioner for AFC regional competitions and SPL matches for several years before eventually joining the Sailors in November 2021.
A Match Commissioner ensures that all matches are organised strictly according to rules and regulations of the AFC and SPL.
While both Carolyn and Huong come with bags of experience in their respective fields, it is perhaps their alternative approach – best described as a balance of affability, grit, and that je ne sais quoi magic of feminine energy – to managing personalities in a testosterone-fuelled football industry that sets them apart.
This is perhaps especially manifested when they take command of situations in the course of work.
“Maybe at the start, there’ll be some people who think you can’t carry out tougher tasks or menial work just because you are female. But after working with me for a while, most of them know I have no problems with getting my hands dirty and am very used to the flow of operational work,” said Carolyn, whose previous experiences in the Beautiful Game came when she represented her school at tertiary level.
Huong is also well-familiar with gender-based flash judgements, and like Carolyn, she has embraced the approach of getting stuck in, especially in challenging situations.
Huong recalled travelling to destinations like Bangladesh, Lebanon and even Palestine when she was an AFC match commissioner, gigs that most tend to avoid.
“There are certain countries that many people don’t want to go to because of the associated danger, the thinking that facilities are not the best, and less than conducive environments to work in. But I always went wherever my bosses assigned me – I still don’t mind taking up challenges because I want to keep learning and improving,” she said.
Huong has also had to learn to strike that fine balance between work and family life, a considerable challenge for a mother of two young girls, a one-year-old and a nine-year-old.
“I have to arrange the daily schedule at home for my two daughters and our helper before reporting to work. My family time really depends on the football calendar and team training schedule – and those can change at any time so it’s quite difficult to plan for family holidays or time off in advance,” she said, with the wry smile of a person who is accustomed to rolling with the punches.
Family is similarly a source of strength for Carolyn, who looks towards her 82-year-old grandmother – someone who raised five children single-handedly in a different and much more difficult Singapore environment through sheer tenacity of spirit – for inspiration.
“She didn’t have the privilege of attending school hence had to take up multiple odd jobs to provide for the children. Can you imagine how tough life was back then with everyone living under one roof in a space that’s roughly about 15 square meters?
“Learning about her younger days often got me reflecting on how much more comfortable life and living conditions are now, but she is still looking out for everyone at age 82 this year. Her resilience and perseverance are constant reminders to myself that everyone should strive to be at their best and take on challenges in their stride,” said Carolyn.
And the essence of grandma’s approach continues to be manifested when Carolyn puts on her Sailors Operations Manager hat.
“I simply like putting things together whatever the challenges, then seeing the event, our matchday operations and experience, turn out successful,” she said. “That’s a feeling that always gives me the most satisfaction and I hope to be able to continue to run things as smoothly for the club, as we continue to drive towards higher standards of professionalism.”
At the Sailors, Huong and Carolyn have colleagues they can rely on in that united push towards excellence, and in what is a quaint little side effect of the club’s own efforts to #EmbraceEquity, the women have started to find inspiration in the boys and men who have embraced their feminine energy.
“Every day when I wake up or when I’m on my way to Mattar, I’ll always think of the players – they have become my motivation to come to work. They are the core of the club and I would do anything for them,” said Huong.
With a motherly tenderness washing over her face, she added: “But what I really enjoy is this process of helping them and seeing them grow as sportspersons in the arena, and into fine adults for their families off the field.”
The Lion City Sailors have signed experienced Spanish centre-back Manuel Herrera López for the 2023 season.
Nicknamed Súper, the 31-year-old adds depth and stability to the Sailors backline alongside the likes of Lionel Tan and Hariss Harun.
Having worked under Risto Vidaković twice before, Súper had no qualms in joining the wily Serbian a third time. It was in 2011 when the duo first worked together, at Spain’s Real Betis B, before reuniting in the Philippines at Ceres-Negros six years later.
“Of course Coach Risto is a big factor why I decided to come here – we know each other well and I know exactly what he demands from players. He’s an astute coach who can bring the best out of any team,” said the 1.82m defender, who played for various clubs in Spain’s lower-tiers and also scored against Home United – the previous iteration of the Sailors – in a 1-1 draw in the 2018 AFC Cup group stages.
“When I heard of the chance to come here, I was so excited and it wasn’t hard for me to make my decision. The Sailors is a very professionally-run club and have ambitions to become one of the top clubs in Asia, so it’s a challenge that I very much want to be part of.”
Risto and Súper were part of a competitive Ceres outfit that won three straight Philippines Football League (PFL) titles between 2017 to 2019 as well as becoming ASEAN zone champions in the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.
Súper is now champing at the bit to kickstart another memorable adventure in Southeast Asia after spending the last couple of years in Cambodia with Nagaworld FC.
“I’m a player who is very competitive on the pitch and plays with a lot of passion. I can only promise Sailors fans I’m going to give more than 100 percent in every game and help the team to get as many clean sheets as we can,” he said of his personal targets for the season ahead.
“My job here is to help my teammates and communicate with them well so that we are defensively very organised. I know in this club, we have to dream big – I’m looking forward to not just helping the team win the league, but also try to get as far as we can in the AFC Champions League (ACL). We still have to grow as a club, but we have what it takes here to reach the very top.”
Súper is poised to take the place of Pedro Henrique in the Sailors’ first-team squad as the team launches an assault for the 2023 league title, with the towering 30-year-old Brazilian still in recovery following a season-ending injury in a 3-1 defeat to Geylang International last September.
“Súper brings to the team a wealth of experience – he is exactly who we need in a rather young squad and he’ll be that calm presence in the defence who can organise the team. Furthermore, he understands Southeast Asia football well and will be able to guide the younger players here,” said Risto, who is delighted to be reunited with his former protege.
“I saw his transformation from someone with promise at Betis to now being an experienced player. The most important thing is he’s very happy to be here and is fully in sync with the direction of the club.”
It was a night to forget for the Lion City Sailors the last time out in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), but Risto Vidaković’s charges have no time to dwell on the defeat to Albirex Niigata (S), as they return to the Bishan Stadium to host Geylang International on Wednesday (15 March) night.
Geylang and the Sailors both suffered their first defeats of the campaign in Matchweek 3 of the SPL and will be hoping to bounce back as they return to action this week.
And Sailors defender Lionel Tan is backing his side to show the mental resilience and belief to immediately recover from the setback against Albirex.
“It was a tough defeat to swallow and things just went wrong that night, but one defeat certainly doesn’t define us. The league season is long – it’s like a marathon – and losing one game doesn’t mean it’s fatal for us,” said the 25-year-old, who has played every minute of the Sailors’ three league games so far.
“Day in and day out, we’re still progressing well as a team in the game model that Coach Risto has laid down for us so we won’t be too disheartened. There are strong characters in this team and we’ve also identified where we can do better, so I’m confident we’ll be able to show what we’re made of against Geylang.”
Lionel acknowledged it is a huge blow to have leading striker Kodai Tanaka ruled out for the foreseeable future after sustaining a serious knee injury, but he has backed his teammates to step up.
“Firstly, we’re all so sad for Kodai because he has been such a great presence in and around the dressing room – we hope he recovers well and, fingers crossed, we can see him playing in the Sailors’ jersey again soon.
“But I’m not too worried because we have excellent players in the attacking third like Maxime (Lestienne) and Diego (Lopes). Shawal (Anuar) and Rasaq (Abdul Rasaq Akeem) are also great options upfront so we definitely still have goals in the team.”
Midfielder Rusyaidi Salime is also champing at the bit to impress and deliver for the Sailors’ cause after making his debut when he came on as 73rd-minute substitute against the White Swans.
“It was a bittersweet moment for me – it was my first time wearing the Sailors jersey in an official game and I was so excited to get stuck in for the team, but at the same time it was sad that we didn’t get the result that we wanted.
“I just can’t wait to get out there and do more for the team. I’ve been working very hard to show my worth during training and hopefully that translates to more minutes on the pitch,” said the 24-year-old.
Rusyaidi firmly believes that when the Sailors next step out onto the Bishan Stadium pitch, it will be with a strength and resolve deserving of the Sailors’ white and blue.
“It was simply awesome to look up and see the away stands being so packed at Jurong East last week. We would like to say sorry to our fans that we lost by a big margin in that game and we will like to ensure that this is not the way Lion City Sailors are,” he said.
“We’ll get back to playing the football that you fans want to see from us and that starts against Geylang.”
It was a case of what might have been for Risto Vidaković and his Lion City Sailors at the Jurong East Stadium on Thursday night (9 March), as a contentious 15th-minute red card for M Anumanthan turned the Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture against Albirex Niigata (S) on its head.
Despite battling manfully for the remaining 75 minutes, the numbers game caught up with the Sailors, with Albirex emerging as 4-0 victors on the night.
“The team was doing well in the first 15 minutes of the game, and there was not much more I could ask from them,” said a stoic Risto after the match.
“It’s already very tough to play against the strongest team in the league, but with one player down, it becomes even more difficult, and we had to struggle for 75 minutes,” he reflected.
“But I’m happy with how the team fought to the end, as it’s not easy to maintain the same intensity when you have 10 men. It’s hard to analyse the game well as when you play with one man down, the game is completely different.”
The Sailors enjoyed a bright start to the game which saw them relentlessly close down the reigning league champions, denying them the time and space to play out from the back on their own turf.
The turning point, however, came in the 12th minute when Anu pulled Albirex’s Tadanari Lee near the halfway line to prevent the Japanese forward from having a free run to Zharfan Rohaizad’s goal.
While referee Syarqawi Buhari initially showed Anumanthan a yellow card for the offence, he was recommended by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Jansen Foo to head to the pitchside monitor to take a second look at the incident, due to the possibility of it being a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
After reviewing the footage again, the referee deemed so and showed the Sailors defender a straight red card instead.
When asked about the sending off, Risto reserved judgement, asserting simply that it completely changed the complexion of the contest.
“It’s clear, the game was broken after the sending off,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“From my place, it’s difficult to see the incident as it happened so fast. I need to see it again, as I’m not sure if our other defenders can reach the ball or not. I don’t know 100% what happened, so I need to do a deeper analysis.”
It was indeed an uphill battle for the Sailors in the remaining 75 minutes of the match.
Albirex broke the deadlock in the 30th minute through an unfortunate own goal by Sailors centre-back Lionel Tan. Seven minutes later, the White Swans doubled their lead through Ryo Takahashi.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, the Sailors came out for the second half with renewed determination that was further tested when a disappointed Kodai Tanaka limped off with what looked like a knee injury in the 50th minute.
But the Sailors continued to take the game to Albirex and could have easily pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute, but substitute Shawal Anuar headed wide from a corner.
At the other end of the pitch, a combination of heroic defending, impressive goalkeeping, and wayward finishing prevented Albirex from increasing their lead.
But the tiring Sailors’ resistance was eventually broken again in the 87th minute through a Kaisei Ogawa free-kick goal, before Seia Kunori put the icing on the cake for Albirex with an accurate finish two minutes later.
The Sailors currently find themselves fourth in the table with six points from three games, and will next take on Geylang International at the Bishan Stadium next Wednesday (15 March).
Risto was confident that despite the short four-day period before first hosting Geylang then taking on fellow Bishan Stadium-resident Balestier Khalsa on Saturday (18 March), his charges will be ready.
He said simply: “I’m confident we will bounce back and go into those games looking to win.”
It was a blazing hot Tuesday morning – two days before a crunch away clash in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) against Albirex Niigata (S) on 9 March – at the Lion City Sailors Training Centre and every other Sailor had already returned to the dressing room, bar one.
Now sporting a shock of blonde hair, the unmistakable Kodai Tanaka was striking ball after ball into an empty net before finally walking off with just a hint of smile on his face.
The Japanese hotshot has picked up where he left off last season and already has three goals in two appearances for the Sailors in 2023, but Kodai remains unsatisfied. He is gunning for more in the matches ahead – much more. The 23-year-old has set himself a 40-goal target for the year.
“I’m happy to score and help the team, but I know I can do even more for my teammates on the field. We have set big goals for the team so it’s important for me to step up in terms of my performances,” he said.
Kodai enjoyed an outstanding 2022 season with Albirex scoring 33 goals to help the White Swans win the league and topped it off by picking up the SPL Player of the Year gong, but he knows there is no room for sentiment and only has one goal on his mind: to lead the Sailors to a first-ever SPL win over his former employers.
“Honestly this is the fixture I most look forward to playing in. I’ve good memories of my time with Albirex and I’m very thankful to them for giving me my first opportunity in professional football.
“But now I’m a Sailor and I’m fully focused on helping this club win all our matches – including this one and I know our fans really want us to win against Albirex. I believe we can do it and I want to help the team by scoring,” said the Kanagawa native.
It is still early days – just two games – in his Sailors career, but there are several promising signs with Kodai striking up an uncanny understanding with the team’s other foreign attackers, Maxime Lestienne and Diego Lopes, and he is clearly enjoying the experience.
“I know we have good coaching staff and several good players at the Sailors, and that’s why I decided to come here this season – and it’s going well. Everyone’s so happy training and playing together, and that makes it easy to be happy to be part of this team,” he said.
With in-form attackers and valuable weapons off the bench, Sailors Head Coach Risto Vidaković is confident that his charges can take the fight to Albirex – who won their opening two matches of the season, including the Community Shield, by identical 3-0 scorelines.
“They’re probably still the best team in the league, they’re tactically very organised and play a good style of offensive football. We respect that they are last year’s champions and we need maximum concentration when we play against them, but we’re preparing for this game just like any other game.
“Instead of thinking about the result, we’re focusing more on what we’ve been trying to develop on and to give everything on the pitch. The players are beginning to play the style I want from them and we have capable options like Rasaq (forward Abdul Rasaq Akeem) who can come in and provide good value for the team, so we know we have the ability to beat them,” said the Serbian.
“As long as we get our processes right, the result we want will naturally come.”
In the spirit of International Women’s Day (IWD) which is celebrated annually across the globe on 8 March, we delve into the lives and experiences of our Sailors Women to better understand their struggles, challenges and inspirations as they make their mark in what is a male-dominated Singapore football industry.
In the first of a special three-part IWD series, we turn the spotlight on Nur Ain Salleh – who plays for the Sailors Under-12 Elite Boys’ Team and is the first female Scholar of the Lion City Sailors Football Academy.
He raced through on goal, eyes moving from ball to goalkeeper, poised to pull the trigger. However, he did not notice the petite figure racing up behind him, and in a split second, it was too late, the chance was gone. He was barged off the ball, lost possession and turned around only to notice his opponent’s plaits splaying as she sprinted away to start an attack of her own – you read that right: her.
That was no typo.
Nur Ain Salleh is a rarity, the only girl who plays for the Sailors Under-12 Elite Boys’ Team, but there is little doubt that the technical ability, steely determination – and aggression – she displays on the pitch see raised eyebrows quickly drop, and heads nod in recognition of talent.
Ain (pronounced as ah-yin) is the first female scholar in the Lion City Sailors Football Academy Elite Development Programme (EDP) and you should read her name once more: this young woman is poised to take the Women’s game in Singapore by storm in the years ahead.
A right winger with an excellent first touch and uncanny defensive aptitude, the 13-year-old has continued to demonstrate her football potential on a daily basis at the Sailors’ Training Centre on Mattar Road, and her story finds its roots in family.
Growing up in a football-obsessed home, and influenced by her elder sister Nur Atikah Ardini who was a former national youth footballer, Ain took up the sport in her growing up years and was already playing with boys a few years older than her at the age of six.
It was then when her precarious talent got spotted and her journey into organised football began.
“I often followed my sister to her national training sessions and was doing some simple juggling with the ball at the side. That was when Coach (Yeong) Sheau Shyan and Coach Angeline (Chua) noticed me and asked me to join the FAS (Football Association of Singapore) Girls programme,” said Ain who is the youngest behind two sisters and a brother.
She was then scouted by Coach Jasni Hatta to join the LFA Protectors in 2017 and was playing with girls few years older than her, until in 2019 when her coaches evidently had little choice but to push her into the boys’ Under-10 team.
“My coach then – Coach Achap (Ashraf Ariffin) – thinks that I don’t fit in with the girls and believes that I should be playing with the boys, so that’s a challenge that I had to take up,” she said.
Naturally the sight of a girl playing in a boys’ team drew much attention and earned Ain sceptical looks, but she soon won the respect of both opponents and other observers.
“I do get the vibe that some of my opponents judge me, maybe thinking I won’t be as good as them, but I try not to think about that and focus on the game instead. I honestly don’t feel that I am out of place playing amongst the boys,” she said.
Becoming a part of the Lion City Sailors Football Academy in June 2020 put Ain on a platform with a more professional set-up, and she grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Living in Bukit Batok, in the west of Singapore, Ain diligently makes the trek to Mattar for training sessions four times each week in part to ensure that she will more than hold her own in competitions when she pulls on the Sailors shirt.
She competes in the PUMA Youth Champions League, against some of the best youth teams in Singapore and the region, a tournament in which she continues to prove her worth on the pitch, performances that earned Ain a two-week stint at Spain’s Atletico Madrid in December 2022, training with the club’s Under-14 girls’ team.
The theme for the 2023 IWD is #EmbraceEquity and Ain embodies Singapore football’s movement towards equity – talent is recognised and nurtured regardless of gender.
And Ain has received much support from her coaches – and peers.
“The coach of my team, Coach Sevki (Sha’ban) and (Academy Technical Director) Coach Luka Lalić want me to keep improving and are always trying to find ways for me to progress in my game and I’m very thankful for their support,” she said.
One of Ain’s biggest motivations is her family and she desperately wants to make her family proud – especially her late father who died following a heart attack last October.
“My biggest inspiration is my sister and I know my family really wants me to continue in her footsteps – even do better than her. I’m working very hard for them because they’ve supported me since I was a child. Our father is no longer around and we’ve gone through some hard times in the last few months, but I’m trying my best to continue my journey with him in my heart.”
Ain has support and recognition coming in from all angles now: she is a sports leader in her school, Swiss Cottage Secondary School, and was one of a few Sailors Academy players whose likeness adorned the doors at the Mattar MRT as part of a Sailors’ marketing campaign advertisement.
Perhaps most importantly, her journey has inspired others to embrace their own football journeys.
“I was really shocked that the club chose me, and my mum was so excited to see me in the ad. There were times when people would recognise me when I was waiting for the train at Mattar.
“I’m always playing football on the field with boys during recess time and they actually recognise me from the Academy’s social media posts. Most of the girls in my class are very athletic and they got inspired by me to play football more, and that’s something I feel very proud and surprised by,” said Ain whose long-term target is clear: to be the second Singaporean player after former Sailors’ forward Danelle Tan to play in Europe, and she is well poised to reach that target with her hunger, desire and ambition.
She continued with the same fire in the belly calling for the world to #EmbraceEquity: “I want to continue to be a good role model and show that we girls can be as good as the boys when it comes to football.”
After a memorable debut campaign that saw them winning the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL), finishing their season as Invincibles, the Lion City Sailors Women will be looking to defend their crown in 2023 against an expanded field of challengers.
Yeong Sheau Shyan’s charges will start off the new WPL season with a clash against Police SA – who have been promoted after winning the second-tier Women’s National League (WNL) last season – on Sunday, 19 March at Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Police SA are one of three new outfits joining the WPL this season, alongside Tampines Rovers and Geylang International – bringing the total field of teams from seven to 10 and adding new obstacles in the Sailors’ title assault.
That also means each team will play 18 matches – up from the 12 in 2022 – in a long season that lasts till late November, with various breaks in the league for FIFA International windows, as well as the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games.
The Sailors Women will conclude their 2023 WPL campaign against Tiong Bahru FC on Saturday, 25 November at Choa Chu Kang.
Sheau Shyan acknowledged the challenge ahead, but asserted that the Sailors Women Class of 2023 – blending the bulk of the title-winning squad with several youngsters – are equipped to grow into the Sailors’ philosophy of progressive attacking football.
“It’ll be challenging, no doubt, most of the existing clubs have boosted their rosters and the new teams look good too. This is the first time we’re going to have such a long season with many international breaks in the calendar, so it will be an uphill task maintaining the team’s form,” said the 2022 WPL Coach of the Year.
“We want to pick up where we left off and become sharper in attack – our aim is to maintain our style and keep improving.
“We will have academy players stepping up this year as part of our long-term plans to help them develop, but it’s up to these girls to earn those game minutes,” she said.
“We’re doing everything possible to help them and I hope they give me a hard time in making my team selection for every game.”
The Sailors Women’s full fixtures list for the 2023 WPL season can be accessed here.
A victorious start to the 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) campaign has given the Lion City Sailors much encouragement as they look to pick up where they left off in yet another home match at Bishan Stadium this Friday (3 March) night.
The visitors Brunei DPMM are an unknown element, especially given that this will be their first SPL game after a pandemic-enforced three-year hiatus.
Hafiz Nor acknowledged the challenge the Bruneians pose, but asserts that the Sailors’ growing belief under Head Coach Risto Vidaković will give them the edge to push for a second straight win.
“We don’t really know what to expect from them for sure, but I think they still have some good foreign players who can be dangerous. The most important thing for us is to focus on our strengths and stick to Coach’s plans.
“We’ve been progressing really well under Coach Risto, the team is in really high spirits and there is no doubt we’re gunning for another victory to repay our loyal fans,” said the 34-year-old.
Hafiz turns 35 this August and is now playing in his 15th professional season, but – based on his sprightly and industrious display last Friday, at least – he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Restored to his favoured right-wing role after playing at right-back for the majority of the 2022 season, it took him just 11 minutes to open his account for the season as he made a lung-bursting run into the box to finish off Maxime Lestienne’s cross – which in turn set the Sailors on the way to an opening-day victory.
The move was one that came right off the training ground.
“We have played together for some time now so we know what we’re going to do next when we look into each other’s eyes. When he got the ball on the wings, I knew he’s going to put the ball in so I had to make that run and I’m happy to help the team by scoring,” said the Singapore international.
That goal meant he has now netted at least once in the last 11 SPL campaigns and the veteran is determined to remain as an asset to the team – regardless of what position he is deployed in.
“I always say this: age doesn’t matter. It’s great that I’m still in great condition and my body can still take the high-level of professional football. It’s important to take good care of myself so that I can contribute as much as possible to the team.
“Wherever Coach wants to play, I will give my 110 percent for him. Versatility is really important: this season we have quite a few players like Chris (van Huizen) and (Danish) Qayyum, so if someone is injured, we can easily have someone step in and deliver the same quality,” said Hafiz.
Now a Sailors elder statesman, Hafiz is relishing the opportunity to impart his knowledge to the younger ones at the club.
“We’re fortunate that we have a bunch of youngsters who are very hungry to improve and succeed at the club. I’m happy to play the role of guiding them on what to do and what not to do,” he said.
In figures like Hafiz, Maxime, Hariss Harun and Diego Lopes, the Sailors have experienced heads who can lead the Sailors through the inevitable highs and lows of a season with Risto clearly happy to be able to call upon them.
“These players give the team a lot as they can take control and calm the team down if things are not going right on the pitch. But the team is never about individuals; it’s about how everyone comes together as one so that we can deliver the same goal,” said the 54-year-old Serb.
“It’s clear from last Friday we still have things to improve on and that’s what we want to do against DPMM. We have to go out with a strong energy and play a dynamic style of football to continue the winning start.”
A new-look Lion City Sailors kicked off their 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season with three points and a bagful of positives, overcoming a sprightly Tanjong Pagar United 3-1 on Friday (24 February) night.
Back in the familiar comforts of Bishan Stadium after a two-year absence, the Sailors scored through Hafiz Nor and new signing Kodai Tanaka – who netted a brace in his debut for the club – all via a hat-trick of assists from Maxime Lestienne’s magical left foot. Sailors’ Head Coach Risto Vidaković topped off the evening by presenting top-tier debuts to two fledgling apprentices from the club’s Academy: 16-year-olds Jonan Tan and Idzham Eszuan Shah.
But this was hardly a walk in the park for Sailors.
The comfortable scoreline belied the amount of hard work and effort the Sailors needed to prevent Tanjong Pagar from getting anything out of the game, with Hasrin Jailani’s side giving the home team as good as they got over the 100-odd minutes of football.
Indeed, while the Sailors were dominant in the first-half, the visitors were arguably the better team after the break, and could have gone on to earn themselves at least a point, but for a combination of heroic defending and wayward finishing.
Risto, however, was not unduly worried about the drop-off in intensity in the Sailors’ second-half. The Serbian explained: “There are many new components in the team, so to put them together is not easy. We need a bit more time to get what we want from the team.
“There are those who are still coming back from injury, or joined us late for pre-season, and they aren’t 100% yet, and we also have many young players. So overall, I’m very happy today because we still managed to get a result, and that’s the most important.”
While the Sailors Class of 2023 started the game with four new signings in Zharfan Rohaizad, Lionel Tan, Christopher van Huizen and Kodai, it was a familiar combination from last year that was responsible for the 11th-minute opening goal.
Diego Lopes and Maxime Lestienne combined well down the left to set the latter free, who sent in a peach of a cross into the box for the onrushing Hafiz to lash home a clinical strike from close range.
Tanjong Pagar had a golden opportunity in the 65th minute to draw level when they were awarded a penalty, but midfielder Mirko Šugić sent the resulting spot-kick wide.
That miss was subsequently punished by Kodai in the 89th minute, with the Sailors springing a devastating counter-attack that ended with the Japanese striker sliding home yet another Maxime cross for his first competitive goal in Sailors colours – making it 2-0 to the home side.
The Jaguars did eventually reduce the deficit in the second minute of added time through Shahrin Saberin’s header, but the Sailors restored their two-goal advantage just two minutes later, with Maxime once again laying the ball on a plate for Kodai to score again and seal an opening victory.
The brace was no less than what Kodai deserved for the solid shift he put in up front. This was underlined by Risto’s post-game revelation: the 23-year-old was one of those who was still far from achieving his optimum levels.
“Kodai was playing at only about 50% of his ability,“ said Risto. “He had just trained for about two weeks with the team after returning from injury, and he will need more time to get to his best. But we didn’t have a lot of options so I let him play today.
“Strikers need goals to get confidence, and fortunately for us, he scored two today, and that’s a great start for him.”
Unsurprisingly, Kodai credited Maxime for his critical role in the win, saying: “Today they were easy goals and I have to thank Maxime for the assists. I only joined training sessions two weeks ago and I am not feeling totally fine yet. Perhaps in a week or so, I will be at 100%.
Perhaps the cherry on top of the season-opening win for the 1,300 fans at Bishan, was witnessing history being made as the Sailors threw on Jonan and Idzham in the second half.
At just 16 years and 10 days old, defender Idzham became the third-youngest debutant in Singapore league history – behind the Young Lions duo of Khairin Nadim and Raoul Suhaimi.
Jonan is just a tad older, at 16 years, 7 months and 28 days. And the pair are the youngest to ever pull on the Sailors’ white and blue in the SPL.
While the Sailors are not averse to giving opportunities to talented teenagers – Glenn Ong (17 years, 8 months and 29 days) and Aniq Raushan (17 years, 5 months and 18 days) made their SPL debuts in 2021 – both Idzham and Jonan are the first Scholars from the Sailors’ Elite Development Programme launched in 2020 to come through the system.
“These young players trained very well during the pre-season with the first team, so I thought they deserved to get some minutes and feel important,” said Risto, explaining his decision to hand these two academy players their SPL debuts.
“It’s good for them to feel how it’s like playing at the top level, as it will help them grow as players.”
He stood, eyes transfixed on the flurry of activity in front of him. It was Thursday, 23 February and the Lion City Sailors were just 24 hours away from their 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season opener against Tanjong Pagar United at the Bishan Stadium.
Head Coach Risto Vidaković watched as his charges went through the paces at the Lion City Sailors Training Centre, but his almost stoic stillness was starkly contrasted with the palpable excitement at Mattar Road.
With the team gradually adapting to his philosophy of possession-based attacking football and showing promising signs in friendly matches since he took charge in early January, the 54-year-old Serbian is optimistic that his Sailors will put up a good show to set the tone for the season ahead.
“The team is growing each time we come together and there’s a lot of positivity amongst the boys – it’s like a family and everyone is enjoying their time with one another. We’re aware the true test comes when the season gets underway, but I’ve seen enough from them that I know they’re going to fight for everything on the pitch to get our first three points of the year,” he said, with conviction.
With Tanjong Pagar retaining the bulk of a squad that punched above their weight to finish sixth last season, Risto acknowledged this could be a tricky opening match, but backed his players to show grit and gumption to come through.
“I think everyone here knows that, especially those who were at the club for the past few seasons – every team is going to play very hard against us and give more than 100 percent because they’re motivated to beat us. I believe our players are experienced enough to know what to do and how to cope with this,” said Risto.
He is acutely aware of the importance of getting his reign off to a good start, but he has his eyes fixed on the long game for the big prize: the league title.
“The first game is always important – not just because of the three points, but also it gives you confidence for future games and the season. But the league is a long-term journey – you cannot win the league after a few games for sure.
“We need to turn it on throughout the year and keep at what we’ve been building on – to play an attractive style of football. And we have to carefully manage individual players’ condition so that we’re well prepared for all three rounds,” said the former Ceres-Negros tactician.
In Hariss Harun, Risto has an ideal leader with the ability to take command of a dressing room which is now brimming with young talent, and the experience to pull through difficult periods that every team will inevitably encounter.
The skipper is at the heart of the Risto revolution and is keen to lead the Sailors Class of 2023 into a new era for the club.
“Obviously this pre-season is starkly different from the past few, because of the new players and a new coach. Amongst the new players, there are several with plenty of potential and I’m excited to see how they improve and help the club in the next few years. This is a great opportunity for them to write a new story with this club.
“Along with players like Hafiz (Nor), Maxime (Lestienne) and Diego (Lopes), there are experienced heads in the dressing room to help me manage these boys and I’m truly excited to be in a position to help them grow here,” said the 32-year-old.
Despite the changes, Hariss acknowledged the fact Sailors are still expected to be amongst the frontrunners for the title and are relishing the opportunity to ‘right the wrongs’ of last season.
“It is at the lowest when you learn the most. The way we ended last season was poor and the fans deserve to see a better showing from the team for this year – they deserved so much more for the support that they have given us.
“It will be a tougher fight for the title this season, but it is a challenge that keeps us on our toes and will spur us on. Together our team will continue to strive and show the way forward in Singapore football on and off the pitch because that is what we stand for,” said the Singapore national team captain.
For now, Hariss just cannot wait to get onto the Bishan pitch to usher in the new season.
“We’re delighted to be back at our rightful home in Bishan. We just cannot wait to play some entertaining football and get the three points for our fans on Friday night,” he said.
