Category: News
Sailors Women edge closer to WPL three-peat
The Lion City Sailors Women’s Team are just one win away from securing their third consecutive Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title, following a resounding 10-0 win over BG Tampines Rovers in their penultimate league game of the season at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday (11 September) night.
Five points behind league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) before this match, and with two games remaining, the Sailors knew that anything less than a win would hand the White Swans the title.
Priscille Le Helloco starred against her former side with a clinical hat-trick, while Raeka Ee and Nur Ain Salleh each grabbed a brace.
Dorcas Chu, Sarah Zu’risqha, and Yuvika Suresh also found the net in what was the Sailors’ fourth win by at least a ten-goal margin this season – they had beaten Balestier Khalsa 18-0 and 11-0 earlier this year, on top of a 13-0 victory over Tiong Bahru.
It was an encouraging performance that pleased Sailors Women Head Coach Daniel Ong, who praised his side for bouncing back from a disappointing 0-0 draw against Geylang International just three days earlier.
“Today’s game was great; the girls were getting into good positions and creating more movement upfront. What really pleased me was seeing how they enjoyed playing together as a team and supporting one another. The smiles on their faces showed the unity and strong bond within this group,” said the 35-year-old.
Daniel made three changes to the lineup that started against the Eagles, with Izairida Shakira replacing Beatrice Tan in goal, while Liyana Rickit came into the heart of midfield along with Dorcas Chu.
Making just her third start of the season, Liyana – who only turns 15 in October – delivered a composed and all-action display, impressing with her superb range of passing.
“I was very excited and thankful to get a start in such an important game – a game that we had to win,” the teenager reflected. “I was quite nervous to be honest, as I was playing in quite an important position where I couldn’t afford to lose the ball.
“But I’m very grateful that I had the help of Dorcas. She kept motivating me and told me to focus on my strengths. I had some loose touches and some moments where I could have scanned the pitch better, but overall, I’m happy to help the team with some good plays in the middle.”
The Sailors created a flurry of chances from the get-go but had to wait until the 25th minute to break the deadlock, with Dorcas sneaking in at the far post to nod home Miray Altun’s outswinging corner.
This was followed by two quickfire goals, with Raeka poking home from close range after great work by Khairunnisa Anwar down the left flank in the 31st minute, before the Sailors no. 9 turned provider to tee up Priscille for a curling finish a minute later to extend their lead to 3-0.
Raeka was at it again eight minutes into the second half as she produced an unerring finish into the bottom right corner after being found by a low cross from Nurhidayu Naszri.
That was the 20-year-old’s 16th goal of the season, as she kept her faint hopes of overhauling Albirex’s league-leading scorer Manami Fukuzawa – who has 23 to her name – alive.
Another two goals came in quick succession, with Priscille benefitting from Syazwani Ruzi’s defence-splitting pass to score in the 56th minute, before she got to the end of an unselfish Raeka cut-back to complete a memorable first hat-trick in Sailors colours.
Ain, Sarah and Yuvika were then introduced as substitutes shortly after, with the former scoring with her first involvement of the game.
The 14-year-old latched on to Umairah Hamdan’s ball over the top before directing a shot into the bottom left corner in the 59th minute to put the Sailors 7-0 up.
Sarah then joined in on the act eight minutes later with a brilliant placed shot for her 10th goal of the season, before Ain fired home her second in the 81st minute.
The rout was completed six minutes from time, with Yuvika dispossessing a BG Tampines defender before firing home from a tight angle to make it a perfect ten for the Sailors.
The result meant the Sailors closed the gap between them and Albirex to just two points. More significantly, it means a win on Sunday (15 Sept) in their final game of the season against Still Aerion would guarantee them a third straight WPL crown.
The Lion City Sailors have become the first Singapore Premier League (SPL) club to release an Official Music Video, titled Champions in Blue. The video represents a unique fusion of local football and music, as the club seeks to deepen the connection with its passionate fanbase and create new synergies with fans of sports and music alike.
Champions in Blue is a collaborative masterpiece written, arranged and produced by Sailors’ die-hard fan and musician Brandon Khoo along with Yogesh Pradhan, and performed by local singer Tan Yan Hua. It will be the Sailors’ new club anthem, to be played at all home matches with immediate effect.
The video features not only representatives of the Sailors’ First Team, Women’s Team and Academy, but also members of its vibrant fanbase. Set to an energetic track, the song embodies the passion and dedication of the team and its fans.
The release of Champions in Blue is timed to galvanise the Sailors ahead of their Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two opener against China’s Zhejiang Professional on 19 September. This will be the Sailors’ third straight season in AFC club competitions as they seek to fly the Singapore flag high at the regional level, on top of their participation in the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.
“Music is a powerful tool to build emotional connection and a sense of community,” said Lion City Sailors General Manager, Tan Li Yu. “Champions in Blue is more than just a music video or a song; it’s a celebration of our club’s identity and the shared journey with everyone connected to the club.
“Beyond our existing fanbase, we want to create a unique and immersive experience for sports and music lovers to celebrate the passion and energy that drive us.”
The Lion City Sailors Women’s Team suffered a setback in the 2024 Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title race on Sunday (8 September) night, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by a gritty Geylang International side at ITE College East.
The result left them five points behind current leaders Albirex Niigata (S), who have already completed their season with 42 points.
The Sailors Women remain in control of their own destiny, though – maximum points from their final two matches against BG Tampines Rovers on Wednesday (11 September) night and Still Aerion (date yet to be confirmed) will be enough to pip the White Swans to a third successive WPL title.
Reflecting on the dropped points, Sailors Women Head Coach Daniel Ong said, “The girls did well in terms of our build-up play till the middle third. But during the last phase in the attacking third, we were too eager to play the ball forward and when we did get inside the box, we did not manage to convert those chances into goals.”
Sailors winger Sarah Zu’risqha agreed, saying, “We tried to find the gaps in between the Geylang defence but they were compact enough to deny us space, and our finishing was just not as on point today as it usually would be.
“This result is a disappointment, but it doesn’t change the equation – we just have to focus on winning our last two matches to get the title.”
Going into the game, Geylang had been the only team to take points off the Sailors Women this campaign with a 2-1 win in June, and they once again proved a tough nut for Daniel’s charges to crack.
The defending champions started the game brightly and could have scored after just four minutes, but Priscille Le Helloco saw her effort denied by the crossbar.
Geylang kept the game tight thereafter, making it difficult for the Sailors Women to find space in the attacking third for much of the first half-hour.
Daniel’s charges managed to carve out two promising opportunities in the 30th and 32nd minutes, but close-range efforts from Nurhidayu Naszri and Priscille were kept out by Geylang goalkeeper Nurul Illyanis.
The Sailors Women then had a golden opportunity to go ahead on 38 minutes after Nurhidayu forced a handball by a Geylang defender, but the usually-reliable Syazwani Ruzi struck the resulting penalty against the post.
Geylang could have punished the Sailors Women for their profligacy three minutes later when Farah Nurzahirah sneaked through on goal after a defensive error, but custodian Beatrice Tan proved equal to the task with a smart stop.
Raeka Ee then spurned a one-on-one opportunity just before half time, as both teams went into the break goalless.
Daniel brought Liyana Rickit and Dorcas Chu on to freshen up things around the hour mark as his side continued pushing forward in numbers, but the final product was often lacking.
They came close to finding a breakthrough in the 79th minute when Raeka was brought down on the edge of the area, but substitute Josephine Ang curled the resulting free-kick just wide with her first touch of the game.
Josephine then saw a close-range shot blocked, leaving the Sailors Women to settle for a share of the spoils on a frustrating evening.
There will be no margin for error going into their final two matches of the season, but Daniel wants his charges not to let the pressure get to them.
“My message to the girls is to enjoy playing the football that we love and to cherish this moment of fighting for the title together as a team. As long as we stay united, the end result will be what we desire,” he said.
A defiant Sarah added: “I don’t think this result will affect our confidence at all. We play together as a unit, and this setback only serves to make us stronger. We’ll work hard in training to rectify our errors and put up good performances in the next two matches because we know what’s at stake.
“We want to win the league because we want to play in the AWCL (AFC Women’s Champions League) again next season.”
Coming off a challenging yet enriching maiden voyage into the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League (AWCL), the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team are determined to charge ahead and accomplish their goal for 2024 – to secure a third consecutive Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title.
Daniel Ong’s charges know that three wins from their final three games – to be played in the space of eight days – will see them crowned champions. They will face fourth-placed Still Aerion this Wednesday (4 September) and third-placed Geylang International four days later (8 September), before wrapping up the season against BG Tampines Rovers the following Wednesday (11 September).
Currently three points behind league leaders Albirex Niigata (S), the Sailors Women crucially have two games in hand, and full-back Khairunnisa Anwar is backing her side to overhaul the White Swans – albeit with an eye on bigger ambitions.
“It’s not just about winning the WPL; doing so will mean we have a chance to qualify for the next AWCL – that’s the bigger goal for us,” said the 21-year-old. “Each of us has this hunger and determination to not just push for the title, but to also put up good performances for ourselves and the fans who are always supporting us.
“We cannot be complacent, thinking we can go out there and easily win these three matches. We’ve to continue to put in the hard work to improve our game play, and we’re putting in a lot of effort to do so.”
Participation in the AWCL has fuelled the girls’ desire and opened their eyes to a much higher level of football that they aspire towards in the coming years.
“We now have a bigger goal and purpose to look forward to and work towards; it’s not just to be champions of the WPL,” said Nisa. “I think each of us really gave our very best and we did ourselves and the Sailors proud, no matter how the results turned out.
“Now is the best time for us to reflect on ourselves, our performances and our mistakes, and put in even more hard work because ultimately, we want to make our mark in the next AWCL – and keep playing at this level for the next few years.”
Indeed, the Sailors Women can look back on an encouraging debut AWCL campaign in which they gave a good account of themselves in the Preliminary Stage, despite coming up against far superior opposition in the form of Indian Women’s League champions Odisha FC and Jordan Women’s Pro League champions Etihad Club.
“Credit must go to Coach Daniel; his philosophy for us is to have a lot of possession and constantly move after we pass the ball,” revealed Nisa. “Against Odisha, we did make a lot of good plays and showed that we can play good football, instead of simply kicking the ball away or pumping it upfield when we were under pressure.
“We just need to keep believing in each other as a team, make runs for each other, and I’m sure we’ll be better equipped to play the region’s top teams in the future.”
For now, the Sailors Women are fully focused on making it a WPL three-peat – an achievement that would have added significance given the shift to a more youthful squad, with most players aged 22 and below, including seven Academy graduates who made their WPL debuts this season.
Nisa – a member of the 2022 and 2023 WPL title-winning squads – is relishing the opportunity to impart her knowledge and is urging the girls to cap off a season to remember.
“Time passes in a flash; I’m already one of the senior players here,” she said. “While the team is now very young, I see a lot of potential in these girls and they have a lot to offer the women’s game here.
“It’s not easy making the step up to play in the WPL, especially when they are younger than most of the players from the other teams. For the promoted and newer girls to win their first WPL trophy would be a reflection of the hard work they have put in all year long, and we’re all working towards achieving another significant milestone for the club.”
The Lion City Sailors were left to rue a string of missed chances that saw them drop two points in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title race on Friday (30 August) night, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Geylang International at the Bishan Stadium.
With league leaders BG Tampines Rovers also dropping points in a 1-1 draw against Hougang United on the same night, the Sailors would have gone top of the table with a victory over the third-placed Eagles.
But despite twice taking the lead through Bart Ramselaar and Maxime Lestienne, the hosts were pegged back by a Tomoyuki Doi brace on what was a frustrating night for the team and their Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković.
Ranko had been looking for a positive response from his side after back-to-back defeats in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup and in the league against Albirex Niigata (S) last weekend.
However, it was Geylang that produced the first shot on goal when Ryoya Taniguchi shot straight into the hands of Izwan Mahbud, who this week celebrated his first Singapore national team call-up in over two years.
The Sailors did create chances in transition during the opening 45 minutes, but their inability to make these chances count left Ranko disappointed.
“In the first half, we had a lot of opportunities where we had four against four, or even four against three,” said the Serb. “I think we didn’t make the right decisions at those moments.
“I have a feeling that this season, we’re missing so many chances. With our experience, we should’ve controlled the match.”
The Sailors did get off the blocks quickly in the second half, as Maxime’s pass found Bart who kept his feet brilliantly before producing a smart finish for the opening goal.
The Eagles equalised nine minutes later through Doi, but the Sailors regained the lead soon after.
This time the roles were reversed, as Bart turned provider with a sublime pass with the outside of his right foot to find Maxime who rounded Geylang goalkeeper Rudy Khairullah to make it 2-1 in the 65th minute.
But with time running out, the visitors salvaged a point through Doi’s spot-kick after Lionel Tan was penalised for a challenge in the box.
A disappointed Ranko later said that while his side were the better team overall, their profligacy in front of goal ultimately cost them all three points.
“I think if we look at the whole game, we were the better team,” he said. “We had more chances and of course, I think Geylang were happy with the draw.
“When you have so many chances, you expect that you have to score. But I cannot say anything about the players, they gave a lot of effort. This is something that’s been happening now for a long time, that there are so many chances that are easier to miss than to score.”
Man of the Match Maxime echoed these sentiments.
“Honestly, I think we were the better team today but we didn’t get the result. We missed too many chances and we gave away two goals. We are a good team this year but we have to be much better when it comes to scoring and creating more opportunities,” said the Belgian, who now has 10 goals to his name this season.
After a two-week international break, the Sailors will return to league action on Saturday, 14 September, when they face Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium.
This will be followed five days later by the commencement of their AFC Champions League (ACL) Two campaign on home soil against China’s Zhejiang Professional.
“The positive for us is that nobody got injured and we got some players back,” said Ranko. “The only thing is that I have some players going for national team duty; that’s not really helping, but we have to shoulder on and prepare for a very difficult period.”
The Lion City Sailors Women’s Team fought tooth and nail before going down to a 5-0 defeat by Jordan Women’s Pro League champions Etihad Club to end their 2024/25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL) campaign at the Preliminary Stage on Wednesday (28 August) night.
Up against far superior opposition at the Prince Mohammed Stadium, the Sailors Women held out well until their resistance was broken in the 30th minute. The hosts added two more goals before the break to effectively kill the tie off, before a quickfire double in the second half put an exclamation mark on an emphatic win.
Speaking after the game, Sailors Women Head Coach Daniel Ong refused to blame fatigue – his side were playing their second game in the space of four days, after an opening-day 4-1 reverse to India’s Odisha FC – and was determined to learn from the harsh lessons of playing continental football.
“Given the number of training sessions we had with the girls, we prepared the team to the best of our abilities and the girls truly gave their very best in these two matches. Every single one of them, including those who didn’t play, did their part in pushing each other to their very best,” said the 35-year-old.
“What we’ll need to do is work more on our fitness and levels of concentration, because some of the goals that we conceded could definitely have been avoided and should have been better dealt with.
Midfielder Dorcas Chu sang from the same hymn book.
“Etihad are technically and tactically really strong; they play really fast football – they are the benchmark of what we hope to achieve one day. The speed of their game was even faster than Odisha’s, and something that the team had never encountered before,” said the 22-year-old, who was her usual bustling self in the middle of the park.
“After the first-half goals, we regrouped and adjusted our game plan and did way better in the second half. We kept trying to play proper football. I’m really proud of the team for being so flexible and resilient even though we were losing; none of us had our heads down.”
There was little doubt about the calibre of the opposition that the Sailors Women were coming up against. Representing Jordan, a country ranked 68th in the FIFA World Rankings – 64 places above Singapore – Etihad fielded several Jordanian internationals with AFC Asian Cup experience under their belts.
One of those was Jordan women’s national team captain Maysa Jbarah, who came with the reputation of being fourth in the list of all-time leading goalscorers in international women’s football, with an astonishing record of 137 goals in 133 caps.
It was little surprise, then, that the 34-year-old was the star of the night, plundering four goals past Sailors custodian Beatrice Tan.
Having made two changes from their first game with 15-year-old Cara Chang and Miray Altun coming in for Priscille Le Helloco and Nurhidayu Naszri, the young Sailors Women side did however hold their own in the opening exchanges.
There were glimpses of the pass-and-move philosophy that Daniel has been trying to instill in his side, with the Sailors Women stringing passes together and looking to exploit the pace of 14-year-old Nur Ain Salleh down the right flank.
The girls were up for the physical duels too, with Dorcas and pint-sized Khairunnisa Anwar flying into challenges to thwart Etihad’s attacks.
The Sailors Women could even have taken a shock lead just five minutes in when Raeka Ee capitalised on a defensive error to run through on goal, only to lose her footing at a crucial moment and see the chance go begging.
After that early escape, a formidable Etihad side – boasting a 100% record of 12 wins in their domestic league so far with 56 goals scored and just two conceded – began to impose themselves as the first half wore on.
After producing two brilliant saves to deny Zeina Hazem and Bin Ziyan Fatma, Beatrice was unable to prevent Jbarah’s effort from sneaking underneath her grasp to give the home side the lead in the 30th minute.
The Etihad No. 8 – who has played professionally in France, Turkey and Saudi Arabia – was at it again six minutes later as she latched onto Leen Al-Btoush’s defence-splitting pass to score with a comfortable finish.
The hosts made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time when the Sailors Women failed to clear a corner, and winger Rouzbahan Fraij’s shot was deflected past Beatrice by an unfortunate Raeka.
Jbarah rounded off the scoring in the second half with another two lethal finishes from close range to give her side a comfortable victory.
The win leaves Etihad and Odisha to battle for qualification to the Group Stage in a winner-take-all clash on Saturday (31 August) night, while the Sailors Women return home with plenty of pride as they resume their Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title pursuit with three matches left.
Reflecting on the “huge learning curve” for his side, Daniel said: “The biggest takeaway is not only the tactical situations that we encountered, but also the individual technical abilities that we need to keep improving on.
“But I have to say, I loved the way the girls played their football even though they knew our opponents were a lot better and stronger than us. Their bravery, willingness to try and eagerness to improve are qualities that will help us in the future.”
For Dorcas, it is all about looking at the bigger picture, as the Sailors Women continue to be trailblazers for Singapore women’s football.
“We’re all extremely grateful to have had this opportunity to represent the club at international level,” she said. “Not everyone has this chance, and especially as the first Singapore team to play in the AWCL, we couldn’t be any more honoured.
“I want the people back in Singapore to know that we as a team gave our 110% on the field, and I hope we have given a good account of ourselves and of Singapore women’s football. It gives us great confidence to know that we can compete at this high level and even score against India’s top team.
“We saw the difference in the level of intensity of the teams that we played against and we hope to have the fans’ patience, as we are determined to work really hard when we come back home to bridge the gap. It will take time, and we hope to have their support along the way.
“We’re excited to bring this level of intensity back to the WPL and one thing is for sure – we want to win the league so that we can compete in the AWCL again next season.”
We owe it to the fans: Bart
The disappointment on the faces of the Lion City Sailors players as they trudged off Jurong East Stadium on Sunday (25 August) said it all.
A 3-1 defeat to defending Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions Albirex Niigata (S) was not only their second loss in four days, after a 3-0 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup defeat by Borneo FC Samarinda in Balikpapan, Indonesia; it also meant the Sailors missed the opportunity to leapfrog BG Tampines Rovers at the top of the league standings.
Midfielder Bart Ramselaar acknowledged that the team had fallen short of their usual standards and ought to do better.
“That just wasn’t good enough from us,” the Dutchman said. “Of course, we travelled and had a game a few days before but it’s not an excuse at all. We had some good chances at 0-0 and things could have been different if we had put them away, but we should have done better overall.”
The two defeats were especially frustrating for Bart, who produced some promising moments in both matches and showed no signs of the muscular injury that had kept him out of the previous four matches.
“It wasn’t good having to watch the team from the sidelines, so I was really happy to be back on the pitch and I really tried to help the team get going,” said the former PSV Eindhoven man. “I think we were unlucky with the finish and the last pass; it’s important for me to be influential to the team with goals and assists, but I’m sure it will come again,”
“I’m feeling pretty good about my condition right now and the key is to settle into a rhythm and get that connection with my fellow attackers again. Ultimately, it’s not about myself; I want us to win games as a team.”
Make no mistake about it – the Sailors are hurt, wounded, and out to channel that frustration towards a much-improved display when they host third-placed Geylang International in the SPL at Bishan Stadium on Friday (30 August) night.
The Eagles are one of three sides that have taken points off the Sailors this season – in a 1-1 draw at Jalan Besar Stadium back in June – and Bart is determined not to let history repeat itself.
“Over the week, we’ve been analysing what didn’t go right for us and we know exactly what we need to do to correct those wrongs. The positive is that no one is blaming anyone and we’re all working in the same direction,” he said.
“We’re taking this responsibility as a team with a positive mindset, and it’s important that we are at our best to defeat a very good Geylang side.”
That is the main thing on the Sailors’ minds right now: to put in a performance back at their Bishan den that the fans can be proud of.
“Our supporters are always there for us; they were singing and chanting for us all the way till the end at Jurong East, and I feel we really owe it to them. We’ll go out there on Friday to make sure we deliver a strong performance and good result for them,” Bart said.
“It’s important for us to stick together as one team – players, staff and fans – because we still have a long journey this season and there’s plenty for us to get excited about.”
Izwan earns long-awaited Lions recall
Lion City Sailors goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud has been named alongside three other Sailors – Hariss Harun, Hami Syahin and Shawal Anuar – in Tsutomu Ogura’s 28-strong Singapore National Team squad that will gather for local centralised training during the September FIFA international window.
The call-up is 34-year-old Izwan’s first since March 2022, when he was named in the Singapore squad for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Tri-Nations Series tourney in which they took on Malaysia and the Philippines.
Izwan has bounced back strongly from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that ruled him out of the majority of 2023. He started all six matches of the Sailors’ 2023 Singapore Cup triumph and has started four Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches thus far this season – including the Sailors’ last three league outings.
The experienced custodian made 54 appearances for Singapore between 2011 and 2021, with his last start coming in June 2021 in a 3-0 away defeat against Saudi Arabia in a FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifier.
In preparation for the year-end ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the Lions will play two training matches as part of the upcoming training stint – against SPL side BG Tampines Rovers on 6 September and reigning Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim a day later.
The odds ultimately proved too great to overcome for the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team, who put up a gutsy display in their maiden Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL) outing before going down 4-1 to reigning Indian Women’s League champions Odisha FC at the Prince Mohammed Stadium on Sunday (25 August) night.
Against a professional outfit representing a country ranked 68th in the FIFA World Rankings – some 70 places above Singapore – the Sailors Women gave an extremely good account of themselves, even threatening to produce a shock with the scores level at 1-1 going into the break.
However, two quick-fire goals early in the second half proved to be the difference, before Odisha netted a fourth late on to seal an opening Group B victory in the Preliminary Stage.
Speaking after the game, Sailors Women Head Coach Daniel Ong spoke with pride about how his team had fought bravely against a fancied Odisha side.
“The final score doesn’t reflect how well our girls performed tonight,” the 35-year-old said. “The way the team played was exactly how we have been training to play, and they executed the game plan really well.
“We did well in terms of keeping possession when going forward. Defensively, we kept them at bay with our shape and compactness as a team. Most importantly, the girls showed that they have the desire and discipline to play good football; we have shown that we can play good football against a team which is much faster and stronger than us.”
Indeed, there was little doubt that the Sailors Women were up against the odds, against an Odisha side that included several seasoned Indian internationals as well as a new foreign duo that was brought in to bolster their AWCL campaign.
Marshalling Odisha’s backline was 28-year-old Maryam Juke Ibrahim, who was a member of the Nigeria team that finished runners-up at the FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup a decade ago, while leading their attack was Ghana’s reigning Female Footballer of the Year, Jennifer Kankam Yeboah.
However, the Sailors Women – whose starting eleven had an average age of 20.2 – showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion, sticking to their principles of stringing passes together and building from the back.
They even produced the first shot of the game after six minutes, with Priscille Le Helloco firing straight at Odisha goalkeeper Shreya Hooda.
Daniel’s charges tried to keep things tight at the back but were undone in unfortunate fashion after 19 minutes, when Dorcas Chu inadvertently directed Neha Sillay’s corner into her own net.
Despite the setback, the Sailors Women stuck to their game plan, with 14-year-old Nur Ain Salleh proving a real threat down the right with her speed and trickery.
Both Raeka Ee and Priscille came agonisingly close to finding an equaliser, before the former wrote her name in the history books by scoring the club’s – and, indeed, Singapore’s – first-ever AWCL goal just before half-time.
Ain was the catalyst for the historic goal, producing a brilliant turn of pace to give Nishka Parkash the slip and then playing a perfectly-weighted pass in behind the Odisha defence for Raeka to beat an onrushing Hooda with a composed finish that sent the Sailors Women’s bench into raptures.
It was a goal that left Raeka looking back on the night with a huge smile on her face.
“It’s a huge honour to have earned this achievement, especially considering the immense effort that the club has put in over the past three years towards participation in the AWCL,” the 20-year-old said. “I am grateful to have been able to contribute to the team today, and to help us make our mark on this stage.
Recalling that moment, she said: “I trusted my speed and made my run between the defenders upon seeing Ain with the ball. She provided the perfect through ball; I knew exactly where I wanted to place the shot and took my time with it. Seeing the ball roll into the back of the net gave me a sense of relief!”
It did not take long after the restart for Odisha’s quality to show, however, as striker Lynda Kom capitalised on a couple of defensive lapses to net a quickfire double.
Daniel tried to freshen things up with the introduction of Academy graduates Yuvika Suresh, Seri Nurinsyirah, Miray Altun and Josephine Ang, as the Sailors Women went in search of a way back into the game.
In the 83rd minute, Dorcas lashed a shot from range just wide, before Miray saw her dipping effort from 30 yards out strike the crossbar and go out of play.
But it was Odisha that sealed victory shortly after, when Sailors Women full-back Syazwani Ruzi unfortunately cleared into her own net while trying to deal with a cross from the left.
Despite the defeat, the Sailors Women were determined to learn from their first experience of playing at this level.
“The level of intensity and technical play was definitely much higher than what we are used to,” said Raeka. “What we experienced in this game has set a new benchmark for us to strive towards.”
The Sailors will wrap up the Preliminary Stage with a clash against Jordan Women’s Pro League winners Etihad Club on Wednesday (28 August), and Daniel wants his side to relish the opportunity to improve on Sunday’s performance.
“First thing first, the girls need to recover well. Then we’ll try to work on our individual technique and make some adjustments to player positioning when defending,” he said.
“Playing at this much higher level means that we really have to minimise the number of errors we make, but I’ve full confidence that the girls will go out there and put in another solid performance to make Singapore proud.”
It was a disappointing return to Singapore Premier League (SPL) action for the Lion City Sailors on Sunday (25 August) evening, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jurong East Stadium.
All four goals came in the second half, with Arya Igami’s opener and Shingo Nakano’s brace rendering Lennart Thy’s strike a mere consolation for the Sailors.
Back in action just three days after their 3-0 away defeat by Indonesian side Borneo FC Samarinda in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković made three changes, with the likes of captain Hariss Harun and Shawal Anuar returning to the starting lineup while Obren Kljajić started for the first time since picking a muscular injury in mid-July.
Despite the changes, Ranko acknowledged that Albirex took full advantage of his team’s fatigue from their continental exertions over the past week.
“I think they were smart, they were waiting for us to burn out. Congratulations, it’s a very good win for them,” he said.
The Sailors did have their moments and could have taken the lead after only three minutes when Albirex goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, who recently announced his retirement from international football, gave the ball straight to Maxime Lestienne but the Belgian failed to hit the target from close range.
Bart Ramselaar then came close to breaking the deadlock shortly before half-time, only for his goal-bound effort to be cleared off the line by Albirex centre-back Koki Kawachi.
The Sailors continued to create the better chances after the break, and it was only a smart save by Hassan that kept Lennart’s goal-bound effort out midway through the second half. Barely two minutes later, Albirex took the lead through Igami.
Lennart levelled the score just four minutes later with a deft header from Maxime’s corner, but the Sailors were unable to build on the equaliser.
Instead, it was the home side that regained the lead after Hami Syahin’s late challenge on Nakano resulted in referee Muhammad Taqi pointing to the penalty spot after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check.
Nakano stepped up to fire past Izwan Mahbud from 12 yards out, before he sealed a 3-1 victory for Albirex two minutes from the end with a powerful run and finish.
Ranko later admitted that his troops should have made more of the opportunities that came their way on the night.
“I think we missed a little bit of energy; you see that in the small details like the chances we had,” he said. “In these kinds of games, we have to score.
“And of course, as the game goes on and especially when you’re 1-0 down, it’s difficult to chase the game with heavy legs.”
The Serb was also left sweating on the fitness of Toni Datković, who went off with an injury after around an hour.
“Honestly, we still don’t know what it is,” Ranko said. “I have to wait till tomorrow and then we will know.
“But we cannot miss a lot of players because my squad is pretty small for so many competitions and it’s going to be tough.”
Sunday’s defeat was the Sailors’ second in the league this season, and left them two points adrift of BG Tampines Rovers at the top of the table.
They will return to league action on Friday (30 August) when they host third-placed Geylang International at the Bishan Stadium.
