Author: Nicolette Ten
Defensive solidity, an audacious Kim Shin-wook Panenka penalty – and perhaps a dash of luck – were what it took for the Lion City Sailors to defeat Tampines Rovers in a hard-fought 1-0 victory at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday night (13 March) and return to winning ways in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
In a week that saw the team hard at work to sort out issues that resulted in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Geylang International on 4 Mar, Head Coach Kim Do-hoon did not have the luxury of a full squad with a number of players not in condition to train, and others out through injuries.
The South Korean went with seven changes to the Sailors’ lineup and the much-changed side repaid his confidence with a clean sheet – and the three points – to deny a solid Tampines side that carved out several promising opportunities.
This was only the Sailors’ second clean sheet in 14 outings, including the AIA Community Shield, since Kim took over in July 2021, and he acknowledged that his team should be coming away with clean sheets with regularity.
“I’ve always said that playing better football and dominating the game starts from being solid in defence, and that’s what the boys showed today. This is our first clean sheet this year and that was the most satisfying thing from this match,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“It’s not an excuse, but this was a difficult week with the conditions that we had. I put out the players in the best shape to play in the match, and every one of them did their part tonight. They played for their teammates who were not with us this week.
“I just want to thank the boys who played for making such an effort to get the result, and it’s clear that everyone needs to be ready to play – there’s no so-called best eleven for us – when the opportunity comes, you have to take it. And this also ensures healthy competition within our team,” he added.
Kim restored stalwarts Hassan Sunny, Shahdan Sulaiman and Shin-wook to the starting eleven, while others like Diego Lopes, Haiqal Pashia and Naqiuddin Eunos were handed their first starts of the campaign. In the absence of the suspended Pedro Henrique, Amirul Adli also came in to partner Hariss Harun at the heart of defence.
The rejigged Sailors faced issues against a fluid Tampines side, especially in the first half, but held the fort. Hassan was his usual excellent self in goal, tipping Boris Kopitović’s shot onto the post before denying Taufik Suparno with two point-blank saves all within the first 10 minutes. When the 37-year-old was finally beaten in the 21st minute, Adli was alert and positioned himself well to clear Yasir Hanapi’s goal-bound shot off the line.
With Gavin Lee’s men constantly working their way into dangerous areas, the Sailors stood firm with Diego – on his first start since September 2021 – also putting in a solid defensive shift, dropping back into his area to block off another promising Tampines chance.
The Sailors’ only meaningful opportunity was a 14th minute Shin-wook header off a Diego cross, but that did not hit the target.
Half-time provided the opportunity for Kim to change things around – with Hafiz Nor coming on to play in an unfamiliar right-back role in place of Naqiuddin, while Adam Swandi replaced Saifullah Akbar as Shahdan’s midfield partner.
The changes appeared to bring more balance to the team, and the Sailors began to show more desire and aggression to press higher up the pitch – with Diego hassling Kyoga Nakamura to win the ball before seeing his curling shot tipped around the post two minutes into the second half.
The match-deciding moment came in the 55th-minute after Pashia was adjudged to be brought down by Christopher van Huizen in the area. Shin-wook duly stepped up from the spot and had the audacity – as well as execution – to pull off a Panenka effort that bamboozled Tampines goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari.
A combination of some dogged defending and Lady Luck thereafter ensured the Sailors held out for the victory. First, left-back Iqram Rifqi produced a goal-saving challenge on Zehrudin Mehmedović when the Serbian was through on goal on 66 minutes.
Then Tampines saw two goals ruled out – with substitute Firdaus Kasman’s opportunistic 68th minute shot disallowed with Yasir adjudged to be interfering with play from an offside position, before Mehmedović was deemed marginally ahead of the Sailors’ last defender when he fired home an overhead kick in the area six minutes later.
In what was a welcome sight, Gabriel Quak then came on for the final five minutes for his first appearance since sustaining a shoulder injury during last December’s AFF Suzuki Cup as the Sailors collected their second win of the season to remain level on six points with Albirex Niigata (S) – and one behind leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
While Kim readily admitted it was not the most fluent of performances, the three points was ultimately most important as they gear up for an important away clash against Albirex this coming Friday (18 Mar).
“It was a well-deserved victory, the boys did exactly what we asked of them at half-time and changed the game for us, but we won’t get too carried away with this win,” said the 51-year-old.
“We know we need to show huge improvement in our football. We need to start to play our football from the first minute, we need to do better in timing our press, and also our positioning.
“(For Tampines’ disallowed goals) Luck is part of this Beautiful Game and it’s the referee who makes the decisions. For us, we will definitely look back on those images – not to see and decide whether it’s a goal – but to work on how we can defend better as a team.”
As the Lion City Sailors trudged back into the dressing room after another gruelling training session at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Song Ui-young was still out on the pitch firing one ball after another at goal.
The Singaporean midfielder was stung by last week’s 1-0 defeat to Geylang International that saw the Sailors fall to the club’s first defeat in 20 Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches, and he is determined to do everything he can to ensure there is no repeat as the Sailors host Tampines Rovers this Sunday (13 March).
“We were very disappointed that we couldn’t take the three points. We were one man down (after Pedro Henrique’s sending-off) which made our task more difficult, but there are no excuses for the loss,” said the 28-year-old.
“That game is already history, so we’ve been focusing on training hard to bounce back in our next game. No matter whether we win or lose, it’s always the same aim for us – to keep improving and get better in every area that we should.
“We have a very strong bond within the team, so the belief and motivation is always very high – we’re ready to take the three points this time.”
It is exactly this drive that Sailors’ Head Coach Kim Do-hoon believes will put his team in good stead.
“I’ve said before the SPL kicked off that I’ve been delighted with the spirit that everyone in the team brings to training sessions – and that drive has got stronger this past week,” said Kim.
“We are determined to bounce back from last week’s loss, and we are soldiering on.”
The Sailors were undefeated against Tampines in 2021, with a 3-3 season-opening draw followed by emphatic 4-1 and 6-1 victories en route to winning their first-ever SPL title. But Song is not bothered by past statistics and prefers to focus on the development of the team in a season where other teams are also vastly improving.
Kim Do-hoon’s men lie third in the table with three points after two matches, behind Albirex Niigata (S) on goal difference, and a point behind surprise leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
“It’s important how we play, not who we play against. We have to focus on ourselves rather than thinking too much about our opponents,” stressed Song, who has played in the SPL since 2012.
“This year, my role on the pitch is a bit different from where I usually play but it doesn’t matter. Whatever role the coaches want me to play, I do my best and make sure I support my teammates in the best way I can.”
Kim is counting on the spirit and team ethic to help the Sailors to power through what has been a challenging week.
“We don’t expect any easy games in the SPL, and it is clear from results that we’ve seen so far in the league that it is going to be very competitive this year. Tampines are a good side with quality players who play with a clear structure, and we expect a very tough game,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“The Geylang loss hurt us, and a big part of that was the awful feeling that we let our fans down last week. It is us who have a point to prove in this game against Tampines – we must bounce back from the defeat, and to do that we must win the internal mental battle.
“And from what I’ve seen from the team this past week, we are going into the game ready to give everything we’ve got.”
International Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe on 8 March, commemorating the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.
In this special feature, we look behind the veil of Sailors women who continue to drive the club forward, to better understand their struggles, challenges and inspiration as they make their mark in the male-dominated Singapore football industry.
With firm eyes gazing over the green of the Mattar Road fields, Chloe Alphonso barks out instructions with an air of authority that belies her slight figure. She demands nothing less than 100 percent focus from her trainees, because commitment and discipline are critical in sport, and it is also what she demands of herself.
The 25-year-old is one of the roses amongst the thorns at the Lion City Sailors Football Academy, and like for every trainer – or administrator – in the organisation, football is accepted as serious business, and every member must play their part for the team to succeed.
Football is a largely male-dominated industry in Singapore, but there are those like Chloe who stride freely in and carve out a space for themselves, breaking the bias with their personality, perspective, and commitment to the cause they have chosen.
The Sailors are blessed to have several such women in the club’s ranks, and on International Women’s Day, the Sailors celebrate their spirit and effort.
Chloe is a performance trainer who specialises in strength and conditioning (S&C). She assists the Academy’s Head of Performance Mark Onderwater and Lead S&C Coach Callum Liddle, and also has the responsibility of leading both gym and on-pitch sessions for the boys from the Under-10 squad all the way through to the Singapore Football League (SFL) team that will participate in Singapore’s amateur league.
The Sailors women
Chloe admits her presence does draw attention and quizzical looks from some surprised parents, but she is confident that her presence is well-merited.
“Whenever I tell someone about my role in the Academy, their first instinct is “wow!” Jaws start to drop with eyes wide open, but I don’t take that as a bad thing,” said Chloe, chuckling.
“It’s good that people are impressed that more women are coming into the field and there are many others who are doing the same thing as I am at the elite level.”
Football remains a male-dominated sport, but the ground is shifting.
More and more females are getting into the game, at all levels, and in varying roles, and it is no different at the Sailors, a club that has embraced the expertise and contribution of women in the organisation.
Nurhafizah Abu Sujad is the Sailors’ Head of Physiotherapy, and also widely celebrated as the Florence Nightingale of local football, while Suzanna Foo is the acting Team Manager for the Sailors’ star-studded Singapore Premier League (SPL) team. And then there is Yeong Sheau Shyan who is perhaps the leader of the largest group of women within the club, she is the Head Coach of the Sailors Women’s Team.
Breaking through the wall
These ladies differ in areas of expertise, in personality and age, but have all faced similar barriers on their road into the sport, but they also share a similar commitment to push past obstacles to drive towards their goals.
Sheau Shyan struggled to land job opportunities when she first came into the scene in 2006 and only switched to full-time coaching some years later.
“There weren’t actually any coaching opportunities for female coaches, perhaps because schools and academies would rather have some “old uncles” who have a little bit of football experience than to trust a female coach – because they’ve never seen one before,” said the 44-year-old.
“It was difficult to make coaching a full-time career choice because you only had one or two coaching jobs to try and make enough to survive.”
For Chloe who started coaching at the LCS academy some five months ago, after graduating with a Masters in Sports and Exercise Medicine from a UK university, the stigma came earlier when she was a young aspirant in a local polytechnic and was often made to feel she did not belong in this field.
“People often go like “women in sport? Those don’t exist, oh, surely you should pick someone else”, or “women aren’t capable of doing the things that men are doing”. Even in university in the sport science setting, the ratio between women and men was quite obvious,” she revealed.
Suzanna’s struggles kicked off in the last millennium – the very year Singapore got its first professional league – but appear to sprout from the same roots.
Since the S.League (now rebranded as the Singapore Premier League) was established in 1996, she has worked in football administration roles at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) as well as at various local clubs’ senior teams and youth teams.
“Back in those days, fewer women were working in football so it was normal for the boys to think that we don’t understand this sport and they tend not to open up to women. They used to always believe that men should be the one in leadership roles and not women,” said the 47-year-old.
“Even my mum thought it was not suitable for me to work in football, so we needed to be very strong in our character and be firm in our beliefs. It required a lot of patience and endurance to handle all the issues that came our way in this line of work.”
Challenges still remain
The challenge of balancing motherhood and career exists for women across every industry, and it is no different in sport. Fizah is well familiar with the bias mothers have had to face in the working world.
“When I first started as a physiotherapist in football – with the FAS – there were already preconceived judgments being thrown at me. I was a mother of two toddlers, and my prospective employers seemed to believe that I would find it challenging to work in the football environment because it would see a lot of travelling, and I would have difficulty managing work and family,” said the 40-year-old.
“I wanted to prove them wrong, that despite having a family, I can continue to do well at work while continuing to be a good mother to my children, and wife to my husband.
“Of course you miss birthdays and important events like sports days and kindergarten graduation when you’re travelling, but you make up for all that by being present whenever you have time with your family,” added Fizah.
For Suzanna, there is the obvious disadvantage of not being able to walk into the changing room as freely as she would like to and have a deeper conversation with her male players, but she works around this.
Chloe has found a method that has helped her along her own journey: to derive strength from lifting other females who are involved in sport.
“Whenever I see someone, for instance a personal trainer in a different organisation, I always talk to them and give them support like: “hey, don’t doubt yourself! You can do it!” It’s important not to let anyone else tell us otherwise, we’re more than capable of doing the same thing – if not better than men.”
“Just by being around other females and giving them the motivation does a lot because I do need that from others at times as well,” she said.
Support from allies
On this path less trodden, these Sailors women find inspiration from varied sources, renowned female figures and people who matter most to them.
Chloe is driven by females working hard to succeed at the top level in various capacities, while Sheau Shyan’s coaching philosophy is very much shaped by experienced Dutch coach Hesterine De Reus, who came to Singapore a few years ago as a UEFA technical consultant to support the FAS’ Women’s Department.
In difficult moments, Suzanna always turns to her late father’s advice – to always be responsible at work.
“My dad was the one who inspired me to work in football, he brought me to the National Stadium to support the national team when I was young. He was the one who kick-started my love for football and encouraged me to stay on in the sport,” she said.
“He has passed on, but whenever I face any obstacles, I always remember what he said and will fight on.”
Fizah’s biggest role model is her mother.
“To help support our large, extended family with at least three generations living in the same household, she worked as a babysitter for extra income. She assumed so many roles at the same time, in addition to being a mother, and that perhaps prepared me for what I was to face as an adult.” said Fizah.
“Her perseverance and dedication to serve all of us really inspired me to do the same – to give more than 100 percent in everything that I took and to do better for those I cared about,” said Fizah, who has been blessed with a sturdy support structure at work.
“One of perhaps the most critical aspects of my career as it panned out was that the FAS came to be like my second family,” she added.
“With good rapport and communication with my colleagues, I know I can always depend on someone if I’m down or need to attend to things at home. My team knew when I meant business and what kind of quality of work was required, but they also knew that I was their friend, their sister. It’s this kind of environment that allowed me to succeed.”
Significance of International Women’s Day
As the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March, the 2022 IWD slogan #BreakTheBias means a lot to these Sailors women as they look to go even further in football.
Suzanna and Sheau Shyan are happy that there is more awareness of the issues and challenges facing women in male-dominated environments, while Chloe believes things should go even further.
“Honestly, it’s like Valentine’s Day. Love should be celebrated every day – just like we should celebrate women every day!” she mused. “Having a day to highlight the significance of this just shows how much it takes to change the general mindset.
“I’m not belittling the significance of IWD, I just think it’s super important not for just our generation, but also past generations to slowly chip away and break down the stereotypes that women don’t belong (in various areas). We need all voices to speak up for women.
“For myself, I definitely aspire to become a Head of S&C or Head of Performance in the future. Seeing more and more females in this male-dominated environment, I’ve no reason to tap out and I know I just need to keep pushing to achieve my dreams.”
Fizah, who is already a leader in her organisation, believes the way forward must see females working to lift each other up instead of viewing each other as potential threats.
“We’ve to learn to team up in the spirit of mutual empowerment, to encourage and support one another. That way, we can make it more likely that we are all able to find success together,” said the former youth netballer.
“I live by my alma mater’s (Tanjong Katong’s Girls School) motto of “Moribus Modestus” – to be a modest individual, but still determined and purposeful in the things that I set out to do,” she said.
“The aim is to be the light that helps those around you to see, and to make a difference in their lives. This motto has kept me going, and it has been especially helpful, considering the nature of my work, when positive energy emanating from me can help those around me.”
Sailors must learn from Geylang defeat
As the final whistle sounded at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Friday night (4 March), shoulders slumped and heads hung low amongst the Lion City Sailors.
On the other half of the OTH pitch, jubilant fists were thrown into the Tampines sky, as confetti rained down as Geylang International celebrated what will go down as a famous 1-0 victory over the defending Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions.
The Eagles scored an early goal, then put in a stubborn defensive performance to hand the Sailors their first defeat in 21 matches in all competitions. It was Kim Do-hoon’s first loss in 13 outings as Sailors coach since he took over in July 2021.
The former Ulsan Hyundai man made no excuses for the Sailors’ off-colour display.
“Geylang prepared well, so credit to them for that. In football, you have to score to win and we didn’t do that today. So we’ll have to go back and take a look at the game again, keep our chins up, work harder to prepare better and bounce back – I’m confident we will bounce back,” said the 51-year-old.
Playing in front of a boisterous 978-strong crowd at OTH, with the majority turning out to root for Geylang in what was their first game of the 2022 season, a rejigged Sailors side had issues finding their rhythm in the first half.
An aggressive Geylang side pressed high up the field before the visitors could settle, forcing the Sailors to concede possession near their own penalty area in the ninth minute of play – and that proved fatal. Eagles’ French midfielder Vincent Bezecourt picked up possession and lashed in a low rasping drive past Izwan Mahbud.
Izwan’s debut game for the Sailors saw three other changes to the Sailors’ lineup, along with Adam Swandi, Faris Ramli and Amiruldin Asraf who led the Sailors’ attack.
Amiruldin toiled hard upfront, with the Sailors going close midway through the first half with Faris firing wide from the edge of the box.
The Sailors’ bid for a come-from-behind victory was hamstrung by the dismissal of Pedro Henrique in the 34th minute, with the Brazilian centre-back shown a straight red for what was deemed a professional foul on Eagles’ Croatian forward Šime Žužul.
“The red card obviously had an impact on the game – it’s not easy to play against any opponent when you are one man down – but Pedro was trying his best for the team,” said Kim.
Despite being a man down for the majority of the game, Kim continued to push his Sailors forward in search of goals, introducing added attacking impetus at half time with Diego Lopes and Kim Shin-wook both coming on as part of a triple change, before Maxime Lestienne joined the fray soon after.
Shin-wook’s presence upfront created a few problems for the Eagles’ backline and the former Shanghai Shenhua man almost poked home on the hour mark after Amirul Adli had knocked on Adam’s inswinging corner.
The Sailors’ best chance of the night came on 66 minutes with Maxime and Diego combining to great effect down the left, with the latter looking set to slot into the bottom right corner before a stunning fingertip save by Geylang custodian Zaiful Nizam.
Hafiz Nor was the last throw of the dice as the Sailors threw bodies forward in the final 15 minutes, but could not find a way past a resolute Eagles backline led by Rio Sakuma.
A couple of late set-piece opportunities bore no fruit as the Sailors fell to their first defeat of the season. This was the first time the Sailors had failed to score in 35 matches – they last drew a blank in a 4-0 defeat to Tampines Rovers in March 2020.
Kim and his Sailors will host Tampines at the Jalan Besar Stadium the following Sunday (13 Mar) and he called for reflection and improvement.
“We learn from every game, and we’ll learn more from games that we lose,” said a resolute Kim.
“It’s only the second game of the season for us, so we’ll go back, analyse what happened, and we’ll learn – we’ll learn and bounce back.”
The Lion City Sailors have had a perfect start to the 2022 domestic season with two wins in two outings, but no one is getting carried away – Sailors’ Head Coach Kim Do-hoon is having none of that.
The Sailors were forced to come from behind to win on both occasions – in the season-opening 2-1 AIA Community Shield victory over Albirex Niigata (S) and the 3-1 win over Hougang United in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) – and there remains much work to be done for the reigning SPL champions to defend their crown.
“Coach Kim has said this a couple of times already – that we must keep our feet on the ground and stay humble. We can celebrate after the game, but we have to switch our focus to the next match immediately, the day after,” said goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.
“It has been a tale of two halves for both the matches we played. We struggled to get our momentum going in the first half, but Coach Kim identified the problems that we were facing and we got going well in the second half. It’s early days and it’s good that problems are coming now rather than later (in the season), so we have time to work on them.”
Joint-leaders alongside Tanjong Pagar United after the SPL’s first Matchweek, the Sailors will face Geylang International next at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Friday (4 March).
While Kim’s charges have won all five encounters since their 2020 inception, the new-look Geylang could prove to be a tougher proposition. The Eagles have signed former Major League Soccer (MLS) midfielder Vincent Bezecourt and the 2021 SPL’s joint-third highest scorer, Šime Žužul.
Noor Ali’s side have an excellent record in season-opening fixtures at their OTH home, beating Albirex 1-0 in 2019 and edging out Tanjong Pagar 2-1 in 2021.
Ahead of the game, Hassan called for his team to secure a second successive win and continue to set the pace.
“The first game of the season is always difficult but I think our game management is now better, and that showed against Hougang. We just have to fix some issues and hopefully we get a good win, and a clean sheet this time, to continue our momentum,” said the 37-year-old.
The Geylang fixture will have extra significance for Sailors’ defender, Iqram Rifqi, who spent 2021 on loan with the Eagles, enduring a mixed spell there.
After five substitute appearances in the first half of the season, the 26-year-old tore his hamstring in a friendly match and was out for almost five months before returning to start the final two matches of 2021 for the Eagles.
“It’s going to be a memorable game for me. I had a bunch of nice teammates, the fans (Ultras Eagles) were very welcoming to me, and the club really treated me very well,” he reflected.
“I’m thankful that they gave me a chance to get some playing time and I only wish I was able to contribute more to the team.”
It has been a long road back for Iqram – he only played one game in the Sailors’ inaugural season in 2020 before missing the rest of the campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury – who has started 2022 on a strong note.
Starting both games at left-back, Iqram acquitted himself well, even scoring his first Sailors goal in the win over Hougang with a memorable strike.
After getting a taste of playing in the Sailors’ first team, the effervescent wide player is determined to feature regularly – and the first step to that, is to stay fighting fit.
“It was so frustrating, but when injuries strike, you can’t do anything but focus on rehab. I really wanted to go back to being the player I was before,” he shared. “When I came back to the Sailors this season, I knew it’s going to be hard to get back into the team, but I told myself I just have to work hard.
“I’ve been working a lot on not just my fitness, but also my crosses, one-vs-one defending and overall reading of the game. The club’s medical department has also done a lot for me to ensure my condition is good going into games. I’m just glad now my career is going back on the right track and touch wood, I hope I won’t get injured again,” added Iqram, who is looking forward to building on what has been a good 2022.
Hassan is similarly looking to continue his solid start to the season at OTH.
“When you don’t play well at my age, people will start to say that your career is over, so it definitely feels good when people are saying good things about you when you have played well,” said Hassan.
“But I’m not getting carried away. I just have to focus on the physical and mental aspects, especially recovery, so I’m ready for matches.”
Fight, flexibility and a fiery desire to win
Just like in the AIA Community Shield victory over Albirex Niigata (S) on 19 February, the Lion City Sailors fell behind to an early goal in their 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season-opener against Hougang United on Sunday (27 Feb).
But the defending SPL champions showed spirit and resolve to come through a difficult game at the Jalan Besar Stadium to prevail 3-1, and that Sailors’ fire out on the pitch was what brought on a big smile to the face of Head Coach Kim Do-hoon.
“From Hassan Sunny at the back all the way up to our forwards, the boys gave more than 100 percent. By conceding the first goal, we made it difficult for ourselves and it clearly took more effort to come from behind against a quality team like Hougang. But what impressed me about my boys was that they stayed cool and continued to play our brand of football, instead of feeling nervous or rushing things because of the score line,” said the 51-year-old.
This victory is another milestone in the Sailors’ history books – this was the first time they began a league season with three points after unsuccessful attempts in 2020 and 2021.
But things did not look too good at the start of the game.
Trailing just seven minutes into the game, with Cheetahs debutant Pedro Bortoluzo finding space just outside the box to drill home an accurate shot, the Sailors were stung into action and carved out a few opportunities before restoring parity in the 24th minute.
Shahdan Sulaiman picked out Kim Shin-wook with a pinpoint free kick and the latter did the rest with a precise close-range header for his third goal in two Sailors matches.
Hougang were determined not to concede a second goal, slowing the game down and refusing to allow the Sailors to dictate the tempo – a key facet that Coach Kim had called for in the build-up to this game.
The Sailors had to rejig to find new solutions to unlock the Cheetahs backline. Hafiz Nor and Diego Lopes came on for Hami Syahin – who suffered a hand injury – and Saifullah Akbar on either side of the break. And it was the pair of substitutes who combined to great effect for the Sailors’ second goal.
Released by Diego’s crafty outside-of-the-foot pass, Hafiz looked set to square it across the six-yard box but surprised everyone by cutting it back for Iqram Rifqi to slam a first-time effort beyond Ridhuan Barudin to put the Sailors ahead on 67 minutes.
“The players were tactically flexible and that’s something we needed when we made changes from the bench. They knew how to press, where to press and reacted immediately to what we asked of them,” he explained.
“Now we have different options on the football we want to play and we have to keep developing in this way.”
Kim made a triple change in the dying stages of the game, including throwing on Maxime Lestienne whose warm-up routine stirred the Jalan Besar crowd. The former PSV Eindhoven winger came on to sensational effect, chalking up an assist within six minutes of his Sailors debut. He squared the ball across goal for Diego to finish off a devastating counter-attack and round up a 3-1 win.
But the explosive Belgian talent believes he will only get better as the season goes on, when he gets into prime physical shape.
“I definitely need more games because I’ve gone one and a half months without a match before this. I felt good out there to be able to play my first minutes of Singapore football, and I could have gotten two assists and maybe even one goal, but what’s most important is that the team gets the victory,” said the 29-year-old.
“It’s good to win our first game, but tomorrow is another day and we’ll have to go again.”
While admitting the Sailors class of 2022 is still a work in progress, Kim believes the team’s burning desire for excellence will drive the Sailors forward as the season progresses.
“You can clearly see, from the physicality and attitude of the players, how much they want to win every game – they just don’t give up. Hassan’s energy at the back seeps through to the whole team and we also have senior players like Hariss Harun and Shahdan to keep the team together in difficult situations like the first half (on Sunday),” said the former Ulsan Hyundai coach.
“We’re on the right track, but there’s still big room for improvement. We’ve to be more precise and aggressive in our attacking patterns and combinations to score more goals.
“It’s early in the season, and I believe the title race will be wide open this year, so we have to keep improving.”
Hungry Sailors on the hunt for more
Kim Do-hoon was not happy with his Lion City Sailors after last Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Albirex Niigata (S) in the AIA Community Shield. He gathered the Sailors before the trophy presentation last Saturday (19 Feb), and told them exactly what he expected of them at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
But they did not deliver.
“One message I threw to the boys before celebrations was that I want to see them enjoy more, because they deserved to enjoy that night. But maybe it was to show more respect for our opponent, or maybe it’s the hunger from this very positive group of players,” said the Sailors’ Head Coach.
The Sailors had given their all to get up to speed in the lead-up to the 2022 season of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) and just seen off a stiff challenge from Kazuaki Yoshinaga’s new-look White Swans, but after the confetti drifted down and customary celebratory photos were taken, the Sailors trod off into the dressing room to cool down, receive medical treatment and wash up.
There was no wild afterparty.
“I didn’t see even one player who got carried away after we won the SPL title last season, and that attitude has been the same this (past) week. No one in this team walks onto the pitch thinking we’re the champions. In training their attitude has been amazing, and there’s this wonderful team spirit.
“It’s clear that the team is still hungry,” said Kim, who will lead the Sailors out against Hougang United at Jalan Besar this Sunday (27 Feb), the first match in defence of their SPL title.
“The boys have empty stomachs and we’ve to continue to fill it with more trophies – and we will get more trophies with this attitude.”
Hougang finished third last season to equal their best-ever finish and the Cheetahs recruited well with signings like former Crystal Palace midfielder André Moritz and 2021 second-highest local scorer Amy Recha.
The Cheetahs are certainly no easy fodder. They were the only team to beat the Sailors in 2021, taking a total of four points off the Sailors across three games.
Kim is adamant that his side must dominate Sunday’s match to get all three points.
“We don’t want to be playing football at the pace that Hougang wants to play – we have to take control and manage the game at our pace. We want to play offensive football – not just build up to keep possession in our own half, but build up to score,” he emphasised.
“Hougang have really strengthened their squad and they now know how we play our football based on the Community Shield fixture. We just have to concentrate on getting better at how we want to play and fix our weaknesses on the pitch to bring home the three points for the fans.”
The Shield win not only gave the Sailors a good foundation to build on, but also provided specific indicators on areas which Kim is looking to improve – the speed in offensive and defensive transitions – ahead of a gruelling four-round SPL season.
“We’ve had a team meeting and went over the Albirex match to figure out what we did well and didn’t. It wasn’t the best football that we could play, so there’s plenty of room for improvement,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai coach.
“There are always questions before the start of a season – not just amongst coaches, but also players. The 90 minutes last Saturday did give us more confidence and showed us that we’re on the right track.
“But we have to stay grounded and humble because that was only just one game, even though it came with a trophy.”
Local sporting headlines were stolen by Kim Shin-wook after his two-goal salvo against Albirex. While the 1.98m giant is widely expected to take the bulk of the goalscoring responsibilities, Coach Kim is keen to stress that the Sailors have other weapons in their arsenal.
“Shin-wook creates a lot of synergy within the team and he gives us a different option too, but we’re not just a Shin-wook team. It’s not just about passing him the ball to score,” he said.
“We have a squad that is all working hard and we’ve been preparing different tactics; different ways of attacking and different offensive patterns.”
The Sailors are unbeaten in 11 games since Kim took the helm last July, and they have set their sights on defending the Singapore football crown, with the 51-year-old optimistic about the challenges that lie in wait.
“The Sailors’ history book is still being written, and we want to keep writing memorable stories,” he said.
“This is the start of a new season, and the start of a new beginning for us.”
Every new year brings with it new challenges, and there will be plenty of those ahead of the Lion City Sailors in 2022.
The club’s maiden Singapore Premier League (SPL) title will not be forgotten anytime soon, but Kim Do-hoon’s men will firmly set their sights on breaking more barriers this season as the club charges into not just the league, but two other competitions that the Sailors will compete in for the first time: the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) and the Singapore Cup.
A winning start was made over the weekend with a triumph in the AIA Community Shield – the first time the Sailors have defeated Albirex in six encounters since the club’s inception in 2020 – and excitement levels are building up.
The Sailors are chomping at the bit to get the SPL season underway against Hougang United in the club’s first league match this Sunday.
And below are eight reasons we should all get hyped too!
- Drawing from the bright lights of Europe
Diego Lopes will not be the only Sailor with European pedigree in the squad this season, thanks to the arrivals of Maxime Lestienne and Pedro Henrique.
Set to become the first Belgian to play in the SPL, Lestienne has spent the entirety of his career in Europe’s top leagues. The 29-year-old started off at hometown side Royal Excelsior Mouscron and went on to play for Club Brugge, before moving out to Genoa (Italy), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) and Malaga (Spain). The skilful winger joins from Standard Liège, and having represented Belgium at every age-group from the Under-15s through to the Under-21s, as well as possessing UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience under his belt, Lestienne’s quality is undoubted.
Pedro, also 29, began his career in his native Brazil but is no stranger to top-flight football in Europe. The commanding centre-back spent five seasons in Portugal’s Primeira Liga with Vitória Guimarães from 2015 to 2020, amassing 155 appearances and becoming a fan favourite. Like Lestienne, Pedro has played in the Europa League and his experience is sure to benefit the Sailors backline.
- Anu and Izwan bring depth
It is not often that a team possesses two top-class goalkeepers but that is exactly the situation at the Sailors this year. The recruitment of Izwan Mahbud, regarded as Singapore’s best between the sticks alongside Hassan Sunny, means that the Sailors will be in extremely safe hands regardless of who wears the gloves.
Further ahead in midfield, the arrival of M Anumanthan adds never-before-seen depth to the engine room. Fresh off a stellar season with Kedah, the combative midfielder’s homecoming means that the Sailors will possess extra steel and panache in the centre of the park to complement the talents of Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Diego Lopes and Adam Swandi.
Both established Singapore internationals who know what it takes to win, Anu and Izwan will play important roles this season.
- Double (K)im-pact
Kim Shin-wook’s move to the Sailors made huge waves – and it looks like the connection between the striker and Head Coach Kim Do-hoon has instantly blossomed.
Wookie, as he is affectionately known, produced a clinical display against Albirex to help the Sailors come from behind to win the Community Shield on his first outing in Singapore. Coach Kim has previously spoken about how the South Korea international’s characteristics suit the Sailors, while the opportunity for Shin-wook to work with Coach Kim was a huge factor in his decision to come to Singapore.
Like Shin-wook, Coach Kim is also an ACL winner and a striker during his playing days – there is no one better-placed to fully draw out the former’s potential as Shin-wook looks to spearhead the Sailors to hunt for glory.
- Back and raring to go
Amid all the excitement about the new boys, it should not be forgotten that there are a handful of returning players who are raring to go.
Hami Syahin, Iqram Rifqi, Zulqarnaen Suzliman and Anaqi Ismit all spent time away at other clubs in 2021 but are poised to be part of the Sailors this season. With the sheer number of matches the team is set to play, particularly with the new quadruple round-robin league format in force this year, there will be opportunities to impress for the quartet.
Hami and Zulqarnaen both featured fairly regularly for the Young Lions and also tasted Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup action last December along with Iqram, who is on the way back to his best after a lengthy injury lay-off that sidelined him for most of his time at Geylang International. Meanwhile, Anaqi will be hoping to get a chance to prove himself after impressing at Tanjong Pagar United, where he scored four times.
- Defending the crown
Common knowledge suggests that winning a title is tough, but defending that title is even harder. The Sailors will be put to the test this season, especially with teams around the SPL strengthening and eyeing the very crown the team will wear in 2022.
But Hariss Harun and company are raring to go. A rigorous pre-season regime has prepared the Sailors well for battle in what will be a long campaign, and while many opponents will take aim, it is clear that there is determination throughout the entire squad to savour the feeling of being champions again. The comeback victory in the Community Shield was a prime example of how the team has the ability to dig deep when the chips are down – this never-say-die spirit outs the Sailors Class of 2022 in good stead to retain the league.
- A shot at the Singapore Cup
The return of the Singapore Cup – the tournament was called off in each of the past two seasons due to the pandemic – offers the Sailors the chance to taste even more domestic success this season. The likes of Shahdan, Song Ui-young and Adam Swandi will relish the opportunity to win this competition again as the Sailors take a crack at winning the Cup for the first time.
- A seat at Asia’s top table
Every footballer dreams of competing against the best – and the ACL is the perfect platform for the Sailors to do just that. The cancellation of the AFC Cup last season robbed the club of the opportunity to taste continental football for the first time, so 2022’s debut at the pinnacle of Asian club football will be even sweeter when the competition kicks off in April.
This will take place in Buriram, Thailand, the centralised venue for Group F with the Sailors facing China’s Shandong Taishan, two-time ACL winners, Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, and the winners of the playoff stage fixture between South Korea’s Daegu FC and Buriram United.
There is little doubt that these first steps in the ACL will prove a stern test, but it is a tantalising prospect to be able to face Asia’s elite. It is in the Sailors DNA to strive for excellence and stand up against the best in the business – and there is palpable excitement around the upcoming ACL debut.
- More for fans
The sensational support from the stands drove the Sailors across the finish line last year, and there is unanimous agreement within the club that you – the fan – will continue to be vital if the Sailors are to go even further in 2022.
Last year, the club moved to amp up the matchday experience at Jalan Besar Stadium to match the quality on the pitch. The Crew membership initiative was launched last year, and it has proved to be a hit with all of you. It has now been revamped to bring more value to all members with exclusive discounts and perks in 2022.
On top of that, online ticketing has also been introduced to make attending Sailors’ matches a breeze, while plans are also in the pipeline to further enhance the match-going experience at all home games.
Stay tuned to the Sailors’ online channels too – there will be plenty of exclusive and innovative content to get you up close and personal with your favourite players, and a better look below the deck of the Lion City Sailors.
Get your tickets here!
Lion City Sailors have partnered SISTIC to leverage best in class ticketing tech solutions for football fans in Singapore, as the club embarks on the 2022 domestic football season as defending champions of the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
Football fans came out in force to back the Sailors’ drive to the SPL title last season, with queues seen snaking around the Jalan Besar Stadium. In a bid to improve the fan experience the Sailors continue to improve off-the-pitch aspects of the club, in tandem with progress already witnessed in Head Coach Kim Do-hoon’s team.
It is a drive for progress shared by SISTIC.
SISTIC has in the past year pivoted to a technology company, having introduced new Covid-ready features with a slew of new key initiatives and products slated for launch this year.
Through this new partnership, SISTIC will provide state-of-the-art ticketing software and technology – focusing on delivering innovation while streamlining and enhancing the experience across the season for Sailors’ fans and deliver a reliable, consistent journey from sale to seat for every single game.
SISTIC will also offer the Sailors expanded marketing services, including season-wide fan insights designed to strengthen digital marketing efforts and engage fans on both a national and global level. In addition, the partnership with SISTIC also allows the Sailors to tap into SISTIC’s extensive global network of API partners to connect with both local and regional fans.
Sailors’ Chief Executive Officer, Chew Chun-Liang said: “We look forward to delivering a fan-friendly ticketing experience and providing our fans with a trusted place to buy tickets and merchandise. We are confident this partnership will be successful for both organisations and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”
Joe Ow, Chief Executive Officer, SISTIC, added, “We are committed to support the region’s sporting scene through technology and are delighted to partner the Sailors for their upcoming 2022 season with insights and technology that allows them to better serve their fans. The Lion City Sailors have been a positive force for the football scene and we are looking forward to supporting their vision in taking Singapore football to the next level.”
In From the Bridge, we step away from celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Lion City Sailors to glance in the rear view mirror, to see how far the club has come in the previous year, before turning our eyes to the path ahead.
The last of this series is extra special. We turn the camera onto those at the centre of all our efforts – you, the football fan – and you get your own title in this series: From the Stands. In this piece, Jonathan Lee speaks on his journey from watching on the periphery of Singapore football, to personally driving fandom of the Lion City Sailors.
The Lion City Sailors (LCS) were unable to build on the huge buzz following the launch of the club in February 2020, with the global pandemic sending the majority of that year’s matches behind closed doors.
But as Covid-19 restrictions began to loosen in 2021, fans from all walks of life started to flock to stadiums across the island, especially the Jalan Besar Stadium, the Sailors’ home for 2021.
One of those was Jonathan Lee, who had been watching Singapore Premier League (SPL) games on the periphery, through online streaming, but the Sailors project – and performances – piqued his interest.
The 4-1 win over Tampines Rovers where the Sailors displayed some swashbuckling football to dispatch a team that participated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) two months prior made a huge impression on Jonathan, and he had to see things for himself – and ended up coming back for more.
“On matchdays, you can always see club CEO Chew Chun-Liang being there near the stadium entrance to greet and interact with the fans. You can even see him carrying boxes up and down at times,” said the 25-year-old.
“There’s a very good vibe at the matches and you can see families coming down – there’s a good mixture of the young and old in the stands. Nur Adam Abdullah’s family is always there, even his grandmother is always up there in the stands to support him,” added Jonathan, who picked up on various non-football aspects of the Sailors’ spirit that resonated with him.
“When you bought the Sailors jersey, it came along with a season pass, a Crew t-shirt, a lanyard and a facemask. No other club provides such an attractive package. On the club side, I’ve spoken to The Lion City Boy (Sailors’ Creative Director, Kevin Lester) and Ravi Maan (Sailors’ Head of Marketing) and I’m looking forward to having more conversations with them.
“It’s quite rare to have a club that has people who are ever so willing to interact and engage the fans – to know them on a personal level. The club has really done a great job to attract fans and bring back the support.”
Jonathan has long been a supporter of Singapore football. He was in fact a Warriors FC supporter since his youth, until the club sat out of the SPL from 2020, and did not adopt any club until the lure of the Sailors convinced him to come onboard
“I know there are people out there saying the Sailors are only about money and buying glory, but I don’t think it’s right to go down those lines. The club clearly wants to bring back the thriving state of Singapore football and push the level of football up another level,” he explained.
“As such, there’s a need to invest resources to bring in the best and become the best. If not, Singapore football will always be stuck in this bubble and not be able to challenge in the region.”
Soon after becoming a Sailors fan, Jonathan created LCS Family with the aim of creating a platform to further promote the players, and building a community where people from all walks of life can come together to support the club.
A full-time content creator and designer, he makes full use of his expertise in graphic design to create statistical posts and graphics to help boost the profile of Sailors’ players.
Purely doing this out of passion, the avid fan often puts in hours of hard work – waking up early and sleeping late – but he feels it is all worth it.
“Sometimes after my work, I will rush home just to do more research and work on the ideas that I’ve for LCS Family,” admitted Jonathan, whose inspiration comes from the social media posts of neighbouring Johor Darul Ta’zim and top European clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City.
Jonathan’s LCS Family’s Instagram account now has almost 600 followers.
“It’s really tiring at times, but I’m really motivated when players start to take notice. Gabriel Quak and (former Sailors’ forward) Stipe Plazibat have reposted my photos on their accounts… Aqhari Abdullah and Tajeli Salamat – these two have no airs about them and are very easy to talk to. It’s great to have them appreciating what I do and that’s exactly the aim – for the club to be one big family, including players, staff and fans.”
One memory carved onto Jonathan’s mind is sitting in the stands and witnessing the Sailors’ first-ever title win last October.
“I went to queue around 1pm on matchday because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get tickets and I’m lucky to be one of the first few,” he recalled fondly. “There were several ups and downs… I was streaming the Albirex Niigata (S) vs Tanjong Pagar United game on my phone while also watching the Sailors’ game. Balestier (Khalsa) equalised against us while Albirex were leading by a few goals in the first half.
“Some fans including me were quite worried, but when Tanjong Pagar started to come back into the game, we shouted to give an indication to our players, and everyone started to be more motivated. And when Gabriel scored that fourth goal, we just knew we’re going to win the trophy.
“Everyone was just celebrating together.”
Jonathan’s love for the club seems set to grow stronger in 2022 – he has received his season pass and his ultimate dream is to do a ACL-winning poster for the club.
“One thing’s for sure, I’ll be there for every Sailors match – rain or shine. We’ve signed quality players like Kim Shin-wook and Maxime Lestienne this season,” said a bullish Jonathan.
“I have every confidence in our boys, I will continue to support them and I’m sure we’ll make Singapore proud in the ACL.”
