Author: Shamir Osman
Kim Do-hoon’s men came away from Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Tuesday night (21 September) with a thumping 6-1 win over Tampines Rovers, sending a clear statement of intent – the Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) title challenge is not over just yet.
The handsome victory narrowed the gap between them and leaders Albirex Niigata (S) to just two points going into the final two rounds of games.
Sailors’ attacker Song Ui-young was pleased with the team’s professional display against the Stags and he urged his comrades to keep their heads in the game in what is the final stretch of the SPL season.
“Yes, it was such an important win to keep us in the race for the title. You can see how much desire the team has to become champions,” said the 27-year-old. “Now we must keep our focus to win our last two games and see whether that’s enough for us to win the trophy.”
Just four days ago, the Sailors were gutted by a last-gasp Albirex equaliser in a 1-1 draw between the two sides that swung the title pendulum the White Swans’ way. In Hariss Harun’s words, that setback “took a lot out of the team physically and psychologically”.
The Sailors had to recover fast for another tough battle against last season’s runner-ups Tampines and at OTH, they did exactly that.
The match could have gone either way after Haiqal Pashia’s close-range finish just before half time was cancelled out by Hariss’s unfortunate own goal in the 51st minute. But instead of freezing, the Sailors rose to the challenge and blew the Stags out of the water with a five-goal blitz – in just 23 minutes.
Gabriel Quak’s thumping volley in the 56th minute put the Sailors back in front and gave them the belief to go for the kill. Pushing forward in numbers, Song and Faris Ramli reaped the dividends as they benefited from Tampines defensive lapses to put their side 4-1 up by the 73rd minute.
Nur Adam Abdullah’s cross was then scuffed into his own net by Tampines captain Daniel Bennett before Song applied the finishing touch to a lethal counter-attacking move to complete the rout with 11 minutes to go.
The avalanche of goals meant the Sailors now hold a better goal difference than Albirex (32 as compared to the White Swans’ 31) and that could well prove to be the deciding factor for the title – should both teams finish level on points after 21 matches.
Reflecting on the team’s ruthless second-half display, Song said that this is the least they could do for their faithful supporters who made the trip to the East on a weekday night.
“Even though we were winning, we cannot stop running and fighting. We’ve to do our best and score as many as we can until the final whistle,” elaborated the newly-minted Singaporean.
“That’s what Coach Kim ordered us to do… These goals are for the fans who always give us their strongest support and make the effort to travel to watch us wherever we play.”
Song’s brace against Tampines meant he is finally back on the goal trail after he last netted a brace in a 5-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United back in March. It also brought extra significance as those were his first goals as a Singaporean since he was granted citizenship on 20 August.
Song is well-respected by the fans for his dedication and willingness to sacrifice for the cause. Those qualities have enabled him to shine in the Sailors’ last couple of matches, as he filled the void left by the injured Stipe Plazibat with minimal fuss and maximum efficiency.
“I played many games as a false nine in the 2018 season for Home United, but as an out-and-out no. 9 I cannot remember when was the last time!” he said, chuckling.
“Of course it’s different as compared to playing in midfield, so I have to prepare and focus more, but I’ll always do my job in whatever role the coach gives me because I love this team.
“It’s very meaningful for me to score as a Singaporean now and I want to continue to enjoy this feeling – to score and help my team to victory.”
The victory over the Stags meant the Sailors have sealed qualification to the 2022 AFC Champions League (ACL) group stages by virtue of finishing as this season’s best-placed local team.
The prospect of testing their wits against some of Asia’s best is one that Song is looking forward to, but he is keeping his gaze on the more immediate task at hand – to help the Sailors win their first-ever SPL title.
The Sailors will return to OTH on Sunday (26 Sep) to face Geylang International in their penultimate game of the season – two days after Albirex host Tampines at the Jurong East Stadium.
“It’s a big motivation for us to be competing at the highest level next season. We’ve got to be stronger, faster physically and mentally to get good results in this competition,” said Song.
“While we’ve achieved our target to reach the ACL, we will not give up on this chase for the title. We’ve been working so hard all season for this objective and it’s not over until it’s over. Even if Albirex wins on Friday, we’ll still have to go all out to beat Geylang.”
Final SPL matchday postponed to 10 Oct
The Lion City Sailors final fixture of the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season – against Balestier Khalsa at the Jalan Besar Stadium – has been moved to Sunday, 10 October.
Initially scheduled to face the Tigers on the preceding Saturday (2 Oct), the postponement comes in the wake of a Balestier player testing positive for Covid-19.
After facing Tampines Rovers this evening (21 Sep) and Geylang International on Sunday (26 Sep), the Sailors will have almost a two-week lull to prepare for the season finale that will see all eight teams in action on 10 Oct, with kickoff scheduled for 5.30pm.
Title rivals Albirex Niigata (S) will face Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium, while Hougang United, the closest local club in the chase for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) spot, face the Young Lions.
We must keep our eyes on the prize: Hariss
Last Friday night (17 September), Kim Do-hoon’s men left it all out on the pitch. The Lion City Sailors ran their socks off and held the fort admirably for the majority of the match after Haiqal Pashia’s 23rd-minute goal.
They were looking good value for three points, before a late Albirex equaliser with seconds left to play saw the match end 1-1, completely altering the complexion of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title race.
From possibly seizing control of their own fate to now having the destination of the SPL trophy out of their own hands, that Ryoya Taniguchi goal was a huge body blow for the Sailors.
But the Lion City Sailors have little time to brood – their next task is already at hand. On Tuesday night (21 September) the Sailors line up against a rejuvenated Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub.
Admitting that the result “took a lot out of the team physically and psychologically”, Hariss Harun knows the boys have to recover fast with still everything to play for.
“We lost focus and concentration in the final minute – that’s a huge and expensive lesson for us – and now we have to pick ourselves up to navigate these last three games,” said the 30-year-old.
“It’s not over yet, so we have to make sure if Albirex do drop points, that we’re still there to capitalise.”
Still five points behind Albirex with a game in hand, the Sailors have to win their final three matches and hope the champions drop points in either of their last two games.
“After the game we did the customary ice baths. Then on Saturday and Sunday, it was a lot about active recovery – stretches and massages – to keep it light and easy to free the players’ minds after what happened,” said Hariss. “It’s just important to get that out of our systems and focus on what’s ahead.”
Having been a part of a dominant Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) side that have dominated football north of the Causeway for the past decade, the six-time Malaysia Super League (MSL) winner sees some parallels between the Sailors and his former team.
And he urged the Sailors to live up to that potential and stay the course under a proven head honcho in Kim – one that won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League just last December with Ulsan Hyundai, no less.
“Technically, we have some of the best players in the league. Character and mentality-wise, maybe we still have to grow a bit more,” said Hariss, who played the full 90 minutes in six out of seven matches since joining the club in the mid-season transfer window.
“We have to learn to keep pushing and not give up in moments like this. At JDT, we had to overcome many things to win our first title in 2014 before the run of success came. So at the Sailors now, we have to keep going under Coach Kim.
“It’s not easy for him to come in during the middle of the season to lay down his philosophy. It’s a different philosophy under him, but we’ve done quite well to adapt as quickly as possible and we’ve been doing what he demands from us. We just have to keep faith with him and keep learning what he has for us – as long as we do that, the success will naturally follow.”
There is still much at stake on Tuesday – a win against the Stags will secure the Sailors’ spot in the 2022 ACL group stages as the SPL’s best-placed local team.
No stranger to the continental club competition, Hariss wants his side to aim high and go toe-to-toe with some of the best sides in Asia.
“It’s huge to be involved in the ACL and I know how excited the boys will be if we make it there next season. Already some of them have come to me asking how it was like playing against (Vissel Kobe’s) Andrés Iniesta,” said the Singapore national team captain, who represented JDT in the 2019 and 2020 ACL.
But right now, the focus must turn to beating Tampines, and Hariss believes Gavin Lee’s men should not be written off despite the Stags’ recent torrid run of form.
Edging out the Young Lions 2-1 over the weekend for their first win in seven league matches, fourth-placed Tampines have not enjoyed the best of seasons, but still have quality players like Zehrudin Mehmedović, Boris Kopitović and Kyoga Nakamura in their ranks.
Hariss drew inspiration from the commitment and desire that the Sailors demonstrated against Albirex last week, and he called for the same drive from his teammates.
“Tampines are not an easy team to beat. Don’t forget they competed in the ACL only recently,” reflected Hariss. “We’ve got to go out there with a high-level performance to be able to get a victory.”
As the final whistle sounded at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night, a number of heads hung low while some in the Lion City Sailors ranks sank into the ground – and understandably so.
Kim Do-hoon’s men held a 1-0 lead over Singapore Premier League (SPL) title rivals Albirex Niigata (S) for 70-odd minutes after Haiqal Pashia’s goal midway through the first half (23rd minute) and managed to keep the White Swans at bay with an outstanding rearguard display.
The Sailors looked like they had done enough to see out a victory, but with just seconds left to play, the Sailors failed to pick up the run of Ryoya Taniguchi, whose header trickled over the line.
That last-gasp goal saw the game end 1-1 and ensured that Albirex remain five points ahead of the Sailors – albeit having played a game more – and with the Sailors having just three games left to play, the title pendulum has swung back in favour of Albirex.
“It’s surely not over and mathematically it’s still on. We just have to focus on ourselves to get the remaining nine points and hope Albirex drop points somewhere,” said Sailors captain Hassan Sunny, refusing to throw in the towel.
The Sailors will now have to win their final three respective matches against Tampines Rovers, Geylang International and Balestier Khalsa, while hoping Albirex drop points against either Tampines or Tanjong Pagar United in their final two outings to get their hands on the coveted SPL trophy.
“It’s not impossible – Tampines are still a very good team and Tanjong Pagar managed to beat Albirex only recently. So stranger things have happened,” added the Singapore international.
Reflecting on the Albirex equaliser, Hassan admitted his side “only have themselves to blame” for not dealing better with that situation.
“We should have done better to cut out their long ball and be smarter in terms of killing the game,” said the 37-year-old. “This just goes to show that football is truly about the 90 to 95 minutes – just one lapse of concentration cost us the three points and we must learn from this.”
Those who watched the game could not help but wonder if the goal could be prevented if Jorge Fellipe was still on the pitch.
The 32-year-old – who was the Sailors’ two-goal hero the last time out – had to be replaced by Amirul Adli in the 55th minute after going down with an ankle injury. Up until that point, the towering 1.9m Brazilian defender had been immense at the heart of the Sailors defence and winning almost every aerial duel.
“We definitely missed his presence at the back,” reflected Hassan. “With him around, we didn’t need to worry that much about those aerial balls. When he went out, we simply didn’t have someone of his stature and abilities to fill in for him. Hopefully he recovers fast enough for the next game.”
The Sailors would surely look back on this game as two points lost after putting up a creditable display for the majority of the match to stifle a well-drilled White Swans side in front of a partisan 1000-strong Jalan Besar crowd.
Song Ui-Young did an admirable job to fill the void of the injured Stipe Plazibat upfront with his industry and willingness to press the Albirex defenders whenever they were in possession. It was the newly-minted Singaporean who started the lovely move for the Sailors goal.
Playing a simple pass to Gabriel Quak, the latter then released Faris Ramli – who raced down the right before whipping in an inch-perfect low cross for Pashia to fire past Takahiro Koga from close range.
Pashia could have made it 2-0 just before half time following a similar passage of play on the right wing, but from six yards out, he somehow fired wide of the gaping Albirex goal.
Gabriel then struck the bar from a tight angle just minutes after the restart, while substitute Hafiz Nor also had a shot from outside the box turned around the post by Koga.
For the last half-hour, the Sailors worked incredibly hard to keep Albirex at bay. Adli did reasonably well to deputise for Jorge alongside Hariss in defence, with full-backs Tajeli Salamat and Nur Adam Abdullah also putting their bodies on the line.
Nur Adam did well to cope with the double threat of Kazuki Hashioka and Kuraba Kondo down the Sailors’ left flank, while Hassan was assured in the Sailors goal, pulling off a wonder save to deny Taniguchi late on, but was powerless to stop the latter from converting the equaliser thereafter.
Despite the huge body blow to the Sailors, Hassan called for the Sailors to focus on the next task at hand – an away game against fourth-placed Tampines on Tuesday (21 Sep) night.
“I think everyone can see we played well and the boys really ran their lungs out,” said the custodian who has 85 Singapore caps to his name. “Now the game’s over and we need to move on. There’s no point pointing fingers at anyone. We have to stick together as a team.
“I told the boys that this is just one of those games where we gave everything but things didn’t go our way. We’ve to fight in our last three games like how we did against Albirex,” he added.
“I can assure you that everyone in this team is mentally strong and we cannot wait to redeem ourselves against Tampines.”
The Lion City Sailors gear up for Friday night’s (17 September) top-of-the-table Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against league leaders Albirex Niigata (S), knowing exactly what needs to be done, and what is at stake.
Beat the White Swans and they will seize the initiative in the title race – they will still need maximum points in the remaining three matches to become league champions for the first time – but at least the Sailors will remain in control of their destiny.
Anything less than three points on Friday means the fate of the SPL trophy will be out of their own hands, and the Sailors will have to hope for favours from Tampines Rovers and Tanjong Pagar United, Albirex’s last two opponents before the 2021 season comes to a close.
Knowing the magnitude of this fixture, midfielder Adam Swandi described this as a ‘do-or-die’ mission against his former club – with whom he won the 2018 SPL title.
“We ought to have the mindset that if we slip up once more, we’re done for the title,” said the 25-year-old. “Being an ex-Albirex player, I know that their players are not going to pull back.”
“In 2018 even when we were already champions with a few matches left to play, we still went out in those games to go for the win and to score as many goals as possible,” said Adam. “That’s the mindset of Albirex Singapore – we, the Sailors, need to match that desire to win.”
The stakes are high, but Shahdan Sulaiman called for a calm, assured approach.
“Everyone knows how important this game is so there isn’t a need to put extra pressure on ourselves,” said the 33-year-old. “We don’t have to overthink about our opponent – that’s only going to give us more stress and be afraid to make mistakes.
“We just have to take this as any other game, follow the coaches’ instructions for us and I’m sure we can get three points from this – we know we have the ability to.”
In a season where they have been under three different head coaches, the Sailors have done well to stay on course and navigate through choppy waters.
With Aurelio Vidmar leaving to pursue other opportunities in late April, Sailors Under-21 coach Robin Chitrakar took charge of the first team for three matches before the highly-acclaimed Kim Do-hoon came on board in late June.
The Sailors have managed to quickly adjust to off-field changes and are now getting to grips with Kim’s philosophy and tactical system.
The South Korean’s emphasis on physical training has also paid off, with the Sailors demonstrating that they have enough in the tank to come from behind to claim points – they have managed that in four out of six outings under the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“It always takes some time to adjust whenever a new coach comes in, but we’ve been coping well and you can now see the effects of Coach Kim’s training,” noted Shahdan.
“In the past few matches, we have finished very strongly. We managed to equalise late (in 1-1 draws) against Balestier (Khalsa) and Hougang (United), and we also pushed all the way till the end against Young Lions (in last Sunday’s 3-1 win) to get the win. That shows the amount of hard work we’ve put in during training.”
Kim has also displayed shrewd player management to get the best out of a squad overflowing with talent. Players like Hafiz Nor, Faris Ramli, Tajeli Salamat and Adam – who have played peripheral roles previously – are now getting more regular minutes, and delivering on the pitch.
“He’s a pretty fair coach in the sense that if you perform in training and are willing to work hard, he will play you,” said Adam. “That’s the biggest apparent change under Coach Kim.
“Hafiz doesn’t usually start, but he was chosen to be in the eleven for the last game because he impressed in training. It’s a very positive thing that the coaching staff recognise the work you put in.”
Adam is now looking forward to a more positive outing against Albirex than the last one (a 1-1 draw at Jurong East) in July. He got his first professional start in more than two years in that match, which was also Kim’s first game in charge, but lasted just 10 minutes before limping off due to a grade-two hamstring tear.
Having returned to full fitness, the 2018 Young Player of the Year looked lively when he came on in the 56th minute against Young Lions and is hoping for a starting spot on Friday, even if he still has a soft spot for Albirex.
It was there that Adam truly matured as a player – but he is not about to hold back against his former employers.
“I’m still very good with the general manager, Koh Mui Tee and (kit man) Roy Krishnan. I always enjoy a good conversation whenever I see them, and I also chat with my former head coach (now technical director) Kazuaki Yoshinaga,” said Adam.
“I had a good season with them in 2018 and they really took care of me. Albirex has such a good environment for youngsters – I can see how players like Ong Yu En and Nicky Melvin Singh are doing well and maturing there. I still have my utmost respect for them, but now I’m a Sailors player and I’ve to do my job to help my team win the title.”
And Shahdan is delighted that Sailors fans have come out in force in recent weeks, and he believes the proverbial 12th man will play a big part on Friday.
“It’s really good to have the fans back and you can just see the celebrations when Jorge (Fellipe) scored the second goal against Young Lions on Sunday night,” he said.
“I’m sure their support and noise from the stands will spur us on to win the match – and win it for them.”
This Friday, 17 September, the Lion City Sailors will take on Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jalan Besar Stadium, in a match that could well decide the destination of the Singapore Premier League title.
The Sailors are honoured to have had fantastic support from Singapore football fans since restrictions were loosened to allow for 1,000 into stadiums, and we look forward to your continued support.
The club will continue to extend our open-door policy to Singapore’s Healthcare Heroes, who will receive free entry for this match. All our Healthcare Heroes will simply have to show ticketing staff any form of work identification, such as a staff pass, to gain entry if they meet conditions for entry as listed below.
Ticketing Information
1000 Tickets Available
Ticket Categories
Season Pass 2020 & 2021 – Complimentary
Adult – $15
Concession – $5
Each Season Pass is entitled to redeem 2 tickets.
Non-season pass holders may purchase up to 5 tickets
*Concession tickets are applicable to the following, with Concession Cards and a recent Photo ID requested upon entry for verification purposes:
– Students aged 16 and below with a valid Student Concession Card,
– Senior Citizens aged 60 and above with a valid Senior Citizen Concession Card.
Ticket Sales
North Entrance of Jalan Besar Stadium
1745hrs-1945hrs: Season Pass Redemption and General Sale
*First 50 Season Pass holders who redeem tickets will get an exclusive Lion City Sailors towel.
Conditions of Entry
The following conditions must be met for entry to SPL matches:
- Individuals must have completed the full vaccination regimen including the two-week (14 days) period after the second dose for the vaccination to take effect. Eligible vaccines include the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or any other vaccine in the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL), including Sinovac-CoronaVac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca.
- Fans who produce proof of a negative Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result, will also be allowed entry. The ART must be valid until the end of the event and must be taken at a Ministry of Health-certified ART practitioner; self-test kit results will not be valid for use of entry.
- Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 will be exempted from having to produce a negative ART result, but will need to present a Pre-Event Test Exemption Notice from any clinic offering ART or PCR testing services.
- Fans are required to produce proof of their completed vaccination status via the TraceTogether or the HealthHub app on their mobile phone, proof of negative ART test or Pre-Event Test Exemption Notice along with a valid form of identification such as NRIC or driver’s licence for verification purposes.
- Individuals aged 12 years and below are allowed entry for SPL capped at 20% of the actual event size.
The Lion City Sailors were not at their best on Sunday night, having to dig deep to come from behind and overcome a spirited Young Lions side 3-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
With that, the Sailors extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches and whittled the gap between them and leaders Albirex Niigata (S) down to five points, with one game in hand.
Perhaps more importantly, the result means they will go into this Friday’s big game against the White Swans with the destination of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title still in their own hands.
Win that, and the other remaining three games, and the Sailors will be crowned league champions for the first time.
The significance of the Young Lions win was not lost on Sailors attacker Gabriel Quak, who scored the team’s third goal a minute into injury time to seal a hard-fought victory.
“We knew that if we could not win this one, we’d be going into the Albirex game too far behind them, and they would have the upper hand,” reflected the 30-year-old. “This was a really tough one to negotiate, with the Young Lions playing exceptionally well in the first half.
“But ultimately football is a 90-minute game and I’m very proud of how our team fought in the second half – sometimes you just have to win ugly. Destiny’s still in our own hands and we have to keep it this way.”
The Sailors have Jorge Fellipe to thank after a poor first half that saw the Young Lions go 1-0 up, courtesy of Ilhan Fandi’s 11th-minute header. The towering 1.9m Brazilian defender first netted the equaliser five minutes after the break, nodding home Shahdan Sulaiman’s pinpoint corner.
The Sailors then huffed and puffed but simply could not bring the roof down the second time, despite peppering the Young Lions’ goal with one shot after another. Stipe Plazibat did put the ball into the back of the net in the 65th minute when he headed in Diego Lopes’s cross, but it was ruled out for offside.
Stipe then had to be stretchered off following a crude Syahrul Sazali challenge on his left ankle, leaving the Sailors to navigate the final 10 minutes with a man less although the Young Lions were also down to 10 after Raoul Suhaimi’s 68th-minute dismissal.
Kim Do-hoon’s men looked like they would drop points for a second matchweek running, before big Jorge altered the complexion of the title race in the 85th minute, with one magical swing of his left boot.
Deployed upfront for the majority of the second half, the 32-year-old was sprawled on the ground after seeing his goalbound header parried away by Ridhwan Fikri. But he was quickly back up on his feet to meet Tajeli Salamat’s delicious right-wing cross with an equally sweet first-time volley into the bottom left corner to put the Sailors 2-1 up.
Tearing off his shirt in celebration as the Sailors fans went delirious in the stands, Jorge described it as “the most important goal” of his career.
“I’m very happy to be able to directly contribute to the team. I’m a team player so it’s very important for me to do something to help the team win a difficult game,” said the defender who scored two goals in a game for the first time in his career.
While many were surprised to see Jorge finding space at the far post to score with his feet – not his head – the man himself revealed it was something that he and the team had worked on during training.
“During the week, I was training for this kind of situation and I managed to score a couple of goals like that in training,” he shared.
“When I realised Taj was in the same position as we practiced, I signaled to him that I wanted the ball and I positioned myself to receive it as I did in training. Once the ball came towards me, I was very confident I was going to score.”
Gabriel then put the result beyond doubt late on as he calmly finished beyond Ridhwan after some quick thinking from fellow substitute Faris Ramli who played a quick free-kick to put him through on goal.
That was Gabriel’s 10th goal of the season, the first time that the 2020 SPL Player of the Year has hit double digits in a league campaign. While happy to have achieved the personal target that he set for himself, Gabriel is focused on the bigger picture.
“Huge credit to Faris – the moment he won the free-kick, we made eye contact and we knew at that moment what we wanted to do,” said the Singapore international, who also has three assists to his name.
“I’m definitely pleased to hit double digits as I’ve always said attackers are always judged based on goals, but I also hope people can recognise not just the numbers, but also my overall play and contribution to the team,” he said. “The most important thing is that what I do helps the team cross the finish line to win the championship.”
The Sailors have displayed an ability to come from behind to claim points in recent games – they have done so in four out of the six outings under Kim – illustrating the team’s indomitable fighting spirit, but Gabriel believes it is something that should not continue to happen.
“It’s always enjoyable to come from behind to win, but if you look at the bigger picture we’re always trailing and that’s not good, is it? How many times do we want to go through this before we get punished?” he questioned candidly.
“We have to learn from this. Hopefully this result against Young Lions is the turning point and can give us the spring going into our final four games.”
The victory was slightly dampened by Stipe’s ankle injury, which looked bad despite him hobbling back onto the pitch in the final few minutes to complete the match, and it remains to be seen if he will be passed fit in time for Friday’s big game against Albirex.
“I just hope it’s not as serious as we thought and everyone in the team wishes him a speedy recovery,” said Gabriel. “He’s a very important player for us so we hope he comes back into action soon.”
The Lion City Sailors welcome three additions to the club’s growing backroom crew, as the club looks to continue to strengthen existing capabilities beyond the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
The trio come with football pedigree from across Asia and Europe.
South Koreans Myung Jae Yong and Kim Young Kwang join from Ulsan Hyundai as Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) winners, joining countryman Kim Do-hoon, the recently appointed Sailors Head Coach who was the chief architect of Ulsan’s 2020 ACL triumph.
Myung will take on the role of Assistant Coach, while Kim Young Kwang is a Video Analyst.
Firdaus Maasar, the third addition to the Sailors’ crew, cut his teeth in English football, providing sports science support to English Premier League giants Liverpool, as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town. He then served as a Football Physiologist at Qatar’s Aspire Academy – one of only three top-rated (three-star) AFC Elite Youth Academies in Asia – before signing up to the Sailors’ project, as the club’s Physiologist.
The Lion City Sailors Football Academy is a one-star AFC Elite Youth Academy, the only AFC-accredited academy in Singapore.
The Sailors take on Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening (12 Sep), and the trio will join the fray immediately, to provide a boost in Kim’s men push for the club’s first ever SPL title in the final five games of the season.
The Sailors are five points adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S) with a game in hand. And with the White Swans hosting Geylang International on Saturday, 24 hours before the Sailors face Young Lions on Sunday, the gap could potentially grow larger before the Sailors next take to the field.
Myung is looking forward to the christening.
“The Sailors project is wildly exciting, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help build something as ambitious as this,” said the man who won the Korean FA Cup as a player and as a coach.
“I’m excited to work with Coach Kim again, and believe that together we can bring on-field improvements and success to the Sailors as we’ve done in the past.”
Fellow South Korean Kim Young Kwang is no stranger to Singapore football – he was a forward with SPL side Balestier Khalsa in 2011, scoring 8 goals in his solitary season here – and he’s looking forward to achieving success in Singapore.
“I have many good memories of Singapore and the league, and I’m very happy to be presented with another chance to win something here, even if I cannot help on the pitch any more,” said the 34-year-old.
“These last five games are important for us and our aim of winning a trophy this season, but my work goes beyond that, to helping the club raise levels in the long run.”
Firdaus still gets teased about the photograph of him on the job at Liverpool with Egyptian star Mo Salah, and he hopes that his work with the Sailors can inspire a similar reaction in the future, especially with the club’s philosophy of excellence already in place.
“The experience of giving sport science support to English Premier League teams was invaluable, and not just because I had the opportunity to work with top-level footballers in a world class environment, but also because I had to step up to match the level of excellence required of every single person in the organisation,” said the 35-year-old.
“I see a very similar approach here at the Sailors, and I’m excited to be able to bring my experience to help establish a similar system here.”
LCS Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang is similarly excited, looking forward to what the trio will bring to the table, in the Sailors’ quest for football excellence in Singapore.
“It’s important that we continue to attract top level talent to the club as we aspire to success both on and off the field. These talents we bring in are not just to drive success at the Sailors, but also to help us build and grow local talents and capabilities in their respective areas as we aim to spark a change in Singapore football,” said Chun-Liang.
“All three of them bring different skills with them, and we are confident that in the long run, they will contribute greatly to our cause. What we’re crossing our fingers on, is that they will have an immediate impact, and help drive us to the SPL title this season”
Mdm Andriani will be the proudest person amongst the attendees at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening when the Lion City Sailors take on Young Lions in a crucial Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash.
Of course she would, both her sons are set to line up on opposing sides of the pitch, with Haiqal Pashia featuring for the Sailors while the younger Rezza Rezky plays for the Young Lions.
Born almost two years apart, the siblings have played alongside each other in the 2019 SPL season with Young Lions and also featured together for the Singapore Under-22s in the Merlion Cup in the same year.
This will be their first time playing against each other at the professional level, after a missed opportunity in May when the two sides last met. On that occasion, the Sailors eked out a 1-0 win courtesy of a Shahdan Sulaiman free-kick, but Pashia was pulled off on the 58th minute mark before Rezza came on during the dying moments of the game.
While he is looking forward to a competitive duel against his younger brother, Pashia empathises with his parents who are finding it hard to choose allegiances for this one.
“The only time we played against each other was probably during social football!” chuckled the 22-year-old. “It’s going to be rather weird for my family – usually my mum and close friends will be at the stadium whenever I play, while my dad usually watches from home.
“I’m really looking forward to playing against him. Obviously I want to help my team win the title but I also want him to show his abilities at the same time. All I can say is may the best team win.”
The middle child of three boys, Pashia grew up in a football-obsessed household with his elder brother Refi Raditya, also a fanatic of the beautiful game despite not making it to the top.
Pashia and Rezza did, earning spots in the various national age-group squads, then eventually entering the professional game here.
While the duo enjoy a close relationship, sharing both on-pitch and life issues with each other, there is also a healthy sibling rivalry with both looking to push each other to greater heights in their football careers.
“We’re always somehow competing with each other – one thing we always talk about is who’s going to be the first one to earn a Singapore cap?” shared Pashia. “We used to be quite harsh with each other when we were teammates and we often pointed out each other’s mistakes on the field, but it was always all good when we stepped off it.
“It’s actually good to have a brother who is as competitive as I am because it drives me to be better, and we are ultimately working towards the same goals. We both want to go far and our target is to play for the national team together in the future.”
Pashia feels a tinge of sadness that he and Rezza no longer train then go home together since his move to the Sailors in 2020, but is proud that his brother is now charting a path of his own.
20-year-old Rezza has been a consistent starter in the Young Lions’ engine room in recent games, while Pashia is also a first-team regular for the Sailors now.
“I guess that’s the process of growing up where we can’t always be together,” he said. “It’s not easy for him juggling NS (National Service) and football at the moment, so I’m really proud to see him performing well and getting regular minutes in the SPL.
“My family is incredibly proud to see both of us getting to where we’re at right now, especially after all the work we’ve put in since we were young.”
For 90 minutes on Sunday though, Pashia will set sentiment aside as he looks to get the Sailors back to winning ways against a dangerous Young Lions side.
While the Sailors have won all four encounters between the sides since their 2020 inception, Philippe Aw’s boys will likely pose a stiffer test this time – the Young Lions have won three out of their last five games.
A frustrating 1-1 draw against Hougang United two weeks ago left Kim Do-hoon’s charges five points adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S), and with the White Swans hosting Geylang International on Saturday, 24 hours before the Sailors face Young Lions on Sunday, the gap could potentially grow larger before the Sailors next take to the field.
During the international break, the Sailors have been hard at work, fine-tuning their attacking moves, and Pashia hopes that will pay off these last five games of the season.
“We’ve been doing a lot of crossing and finishing, and that’s perfect: now’s the time to produce the goods in games,” he emphasised.
“There’re still some tough games to come, against Albirex and Tampines Rovers, but that’s what we have to overcome if we want to win the title. We just have to forget that draw against Hougang and keep our focus to win every remaining game.”
Picture the scene: 80,000-odd raucous home fans at Jakarta’s majestic Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, cheering rabidly for their club in a do-or-die fixture.
Imagine the passion. The fervour. The vibrancy. The electric energy coursing through the stadium as the fanatical partisan crowd tries their best to will the home team to victory.
And, if you were part of the opposing team, the intimidation.
This was exactly the atmosphere that greeted Lion City Sailors’ Senior Executive of Operations, Nur Shuhadah Bte Sinwan in 2018. She travelled with Home United – the previous incarnation of the Sailors – to Indonesia, for their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup ASEAN Zonal semi-final clash against Persija Jakarta.
That match ended 3-1 in Home United’s favour and now is simply a footnote in the Protectors’ ultimately successful AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal campaign. But to Shuhadah – or Shu, as she is more commonly known – it remains one of the most enthralling football experiences she has ever had.
As part of the travelling contingent, Shu was seated in the zone demarcated for away fans but she was still able to witness first-hand how simultaneously imposing and inspiring fan support can be.
“Although I was standing in the away zone, it was surrounded by the home fans, and they were unlike most other supporters that I’ve encountered before,” Shu recalled. “They’re so lively, energetic and vocal! You could hear their cheers and chants echoing around the stadium, and it had a noticeable effect on the spirit of the team. The atmosphere was incredible, and it was a real eye-opener for me.”
Shu now hopes to one day be able to witness a similar level of support for Singapore football – a scenario the Sailors aim to help create.
Since their privatisation in 2020, the Sailors have made significant moves, both on and off the pitch, to gear themselves towards becoming one of the top footballing teams in the nation and the region.
Shu is hopeful that if the Sailors achieve that lofty target, football fans in the country will return to supporting the local game.
“I wish to be able to experience that sort of atmosphere here in Singapore,” said Shu. “Fans need to have more faith in local clubs and come support us. If they start watching our matches, they’ll realise there really is a lot of quality in local football.
“Hopefully the Sailors, especially if we become successful, will be able to attract more fans to pay attention to Singapore football.”
Shu, however, knows full well that the majority of football fans in the country still prefer watching European leagues, such as the English Premier League (EPL).
After all, she grew up in a family that followed the EPL closely – her father, along with one of her brothers, are Liverpool fans, while her other three brothers support Chelsea, Newcastle United and Arsenal.
Shu herself grew up supporting Manchester United, although she was not as “avid a fan” as the rest of her family.
Nonetheless, some of Shu’s fondest memories in football come from watching live Singapore Premier League (SPL) – then known as the S.League – matches, as well as being part of the home support for both the National Team and LionsXII games.
The LionsXII were a Singapore team that took part in Malaysian football competitions from 2012 to 2015.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching the Lions play,” said Shu. “When I was younger, I was a Woodlands (Wellington) supporter, and then later on, I also followed the LionsXII and went to a few of their games. It was fun being part of the support, and I had a good time at every match I went to.”
Shu is now supporting local football in a different – a more proactive – way.
As the person in charge of managing operations at the Sailors, Shu has to ensure that the club adheres to the guidelines set out by either the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) or AFC, especially on matchdays.
Part of her job also includes arranging for, and managing, the security, medical, and ticketing aspects of operations at Sailors matches.
Indeed, a lapse by Shu could potentially even lead to a match having to be abandoned – such is the importance of her role at the club – although that has thankfully never occurred before.
Shu admits she puts a lot of “pressure” on herself to do her job well, as she explained: “We can get fined and punished if something goes wrong on my end. So, there is that pressure on me to ensure that everything goes according to the regulations.
However, Shu, who joined the club nearly four years ago, insists that the hard work she puts into her job is rewarded whenever the team achieves success on the pitch.
“Yes, it can be tiring and I am sometimes pushed to my limits. But what keeps me going are our victories and successes,” Shu shared.
“At the Sailors, everyone is expected to give their 100 percent. When it comes to operations and support, I give my all, and at the same time, the team is also expected to do their best whenever they are on the pitch.
“So, whenever the players win a match, I feel that our hard work has also paid off. It’s a team game, after all, and every one of us at the club has a role to play in bringing us to the top.”
There are many challenges that Shu faces in her current role, but none more unique than what she terms as having an “unapproachable” look.
Shu, who could not help but laugh as she elaborated the point, said: “I have this face that can seem unapproachable, so people are scared of coming to talk to me. Sometimes the younger players from the team, or third-party vendors who aren’t familiar with me, will try to avoid me.
“But I’m actually really friendly la! Once you talk to me, you’ll realise I’m very easy-going. Although maybe it’s a gender thing as well – as it’s a male-dominated industry, having to interact with someone of the opposite sex can make some of them feel uncomfortable,” she added.
Having seen first-hand how the club has evolved over the years, Shu, who lists playing mobile games and cycling among her hobbies, believes the Sailors are moving in the right direction.
“The Sailors are goal oriented and hungry for success. It’s not that Home United back then weren’t ambitious as well, but it’s just that there is more for the Sailors to prove with all the investment that has been put into the club,” mused Shu.
“The club is determined to show that the path they have taken is the right one. To do that, we need to achieve something to show that we are serious about our ambitions.
“You can see that everyone, both players and non-playing staff alike, are working extremely hard to pull the club towards the top. We are all bonded by that common goal…everyone is doing their part, and we are all confident that the team will be able to win silverware soon.”
