Category: News
Just five days after the team’s opening Group F fixture in the 2023/24 Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL), the Lion City Sailors will kick off their 2023 Singapore Cup campaign this Monday (25 September) with their first Group B fixture against Balestier Khalsa at Bishan Stadium.
While the 2-1 battling loss to Thai League 1 leaders Bangkok United was disappointing, the Sailors have little time to wallow.
They suffered a disappointing Singapore Cup debut last year, failing to progress out of the group stages. A focused performance will provide the Sailors the best chance at redemption, to claim the other senior domestic trophy still missing from the trophy cabinet at Mattar Road.
“It wasn’t the result that we wanted last year, the fans expected us to do better. They demand a lot from us and that’s a good pressure, it keeps us driving forward,” said Haiqal Pashia, who was part of the Sailors’ Class of 2022.
In stark contrast, last year’s cup campaign was most definitely one to remember for Lionel Tan. The defender was part of the Hougang United side that went the distance and lifted the trophy, claiming the first major trophy in Cheetahs history.
Now with the Sailors, the 26-year-old hopes that he can forge similar memories with the team, and is confident that a win in the opening match against Bishan neighbours, Balestier, will be invaluable to the team’s cup campaign.
“We have to fight for this Singapore Cup and get silverware, that’s important for us to boost the team’s morale,” he said.
“I believe starting on the right foot in the first game will put us in an ideal position to try and do that.”
For Pashia, the Singapore Cup is an important opportunity to bring home some silverware in the 2023 season.
“We need to redeem ourselves. Everyone expects us, especially when they hear the name ‘Sailors’, they expect us to take this cup home,” said the 24-year-old.
While their memories of the 2022 campaign may be strikingly different, both teammates are united in their belief on two aspects: the ultimate goal is to help the team win the competition, and that their first challenge on Monday against Balestier, will not be a walk in the park.
The Sailors may have won all three league encounters against the Tigers in 2023, but Balestier have proven to be formidable opponents, breaking down defences across the league with their attacking prowess as they powered to an impressive fourth-place finish in the SPL.
The Sailors were also not spared from Balestier’s offensive capabilities, conceding a staggering six goals in the Round 2 and 3 fixtures against the Tigers, which ended in 5-4 and 5-2 victories respectively.
But the Sailors remain confident of starting their Singapore Cup campaign with three points.
“Balestier is not an easy team, especially (with) their attacking ability, they can give us some problems at the back, but I think we are confident that we can manage that,” said Pashia.
“We just have to be focused from the beginning and capitalise on our chances.”
These thoughts were echoed by Lionel, who is also confident that the Sailors have the tools needed to kick off their cup campaign with an important victory.
“I think we’ll put up a very good fight, and we’ll be there with our best to get the three points.”
“We didn’t deserve to lose.”
That was the candid assessment of Lion City Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković after a 2-1 defeat to Bangkok United in their Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) 2023/24 Group F opener.
It was a sentiment that seemed to be shared by many of the 2,927 spectators at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night (20 September). After all, the Sailors had more than given the visitors a run for their money – on a night of continental football graced by the presence of Singapore’s ninth Head of State, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam – and could have taken all three points on another day.
But Ranko’s men paid the price for two lapses in concentration: one from a set-piece, and another from a failure to track the running man in midfield.
“We did our best today, and of course we are sad about the result. We cannot concede easy goals, especially from set-pieces,” Sailors midfielder Diego Lopes said. “In this competition, against the level of players we faced today, you must be 100 percent focused throughout the 90 minutes.
“But overall, I think we did well, and we had several good chances to score. We cannot beat ourselves up over the loss. We’ll just have to take this defeat as a learning experience, and go again in the next game.”
Starting with five at the back, the Sailors’ game plan was clear from the first whistle: be defensively disciplined, keep their tactical shape, and pick their opportunities to hit Bangkok United on the transition.
It worked a treat, as even though Bangkok United dominated possession in the opening stages of the game, they were unable to break through the resolute Sailors’ defensive shape, with goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad barely having anything to do for long periods.
Indeed, it was the home team that appeared more threatening when going forward.
In the 17th minute, striker Richairo Živković created the first significant chance of the game with a curled effort, forcing Bangkok United goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai to make an exceptional fingertip save.
Just two minutes later, Diego found an opening behind the Bangkok United defence from a throw-in, but couldn’t find the target with his shot from a tight angle.
Diego finally broke the deadlock five minutes later, as he pounced on a loose ball in the box and rifled home a first-time half-volley that nestled into the bottom corner of the net for his second-ever ACL goal.
The first one came back in the Sailors’ maiden ACL voyage when the Sailors remarkably defeated K League 1 side Daegu FC 3–0 last April.
While the Sailors were able to comfortably keep Bangkok United at bay for the remainder of the half, the Thai outfit emerged from the break with renewed intent, and looked more threatening from the outset.
Their endeavour eventually paid off in the 52nd minute when a well-delivered corner to the back post found captain Everton, who rose highest to head home the equaliser.
Galvanised by the goal, Bangkok United continued to push forward in search of a second goal.
It took all of 11 minutes for them to find it, as midfielder Thitiphan Puangchan received the ball – with time and space – at the edge of the box, before firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net.
Now needing a goal to rescue something from the game, the Sailors adopted a more attacking approach, and began to put Bangkok United under real pressure.
And the Sailors thought they scored the equaliser in the 71st minute when defender Manuel Herrera López (Súper) headed home from a free-kick. However, the assistant referee flagged Súper for offside – a decision that was upheld following a check by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
While the Sailors continued to threaten – with substitute Shawal Anuar coming close to scoring on several occasions – the second goal just would not come for the hosts, as Bangkok United held firm to secure their maiden ACL victory.
Despite the defeat, Ranko insisted there were plenty of positives he could take out from the game.
“’We’re all disappointed with the loss, but I’m proud of my boys because they did a tremendous job in this game,” Ranko declared. “Especially in the first-half, we were tight, and didn’t give Bangkok United many chances.
“They (Bangkok United) have many good, experienced players, but we demonstrated our competitiveness and showed everyone what we’re made of.”
Explaining his decision to go with a back-five, rather than to use the more familiar 4-3-3 formation, Ranko said: “In this type of competition you’re going to need an extra man behind to keep things compact, especially when we lose the ball.
“We knew that teams like Bangkok United would have more of the ball, but that was not a problem for us. Just look at the first-half, we had less possession but still managed to score, and could have made it 2-0 or 3-0 if we took our chances.
“Of course, when we went 2-1 down, I changed it back to our standard 4-3-3 formation as we had to take more risk and throw more players up front. Unfortunately, it was not enough to change the result.”
The Sailors will next take on Balestier Khalsa in the Singapore Cup at the Bishan Stadium next Monday evening (25 September), before returning to ACL action with an away game against Kitchee SC in Hong Kong on 4 October.
Bangkok United wary of Sailors challenge
They are one of the in-form teams of the Thai League 1 (T1) so far this season, with three wins and a draw from their first four games.
But while Bangkok United might be flying high domestically – they are currently top of the T1 – Head Coach Totchtawan Sripan is well-aware that his team will encounter a different challenge in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL).
That is why the former Thai international is keen to keep his team grounded as they prepare for their opening ACL match against the Lion City Sailors at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday (20 September).
Totchtawan, who led Bangkok United to the Thai Champions Cup with a 2-0 win over Buriram United last month, said he expects a tough game.
“Ever since we found out that we would have to play the Sailors, we’ve been working to get information about them,” Totchawan revealed. “We know that they are one of the biggest teams in Singapore, and they have a lot of quality players.
“Maxime (Lestienne) and Richairo (Živković) are very good, high-quality foreign players, and the Sailors also have a lot of Singapore National Team players that we have to look out for. We’ll definitely have to be at our best to get three points against them.”
But the Bangkok Angels are no slouches themselves, and their recent run of good form is no fluke.
Last season’s Thai FA Cup runners-up boasts a strong squad which includes six current Thai internationals in midfielder Thitiphan Puangchan, defenders Peerapat Notchaiya and Nitipong Selanon, wingers Rungrath Poomchantuek and Pokklaw Anan, as well as goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai.
The quality of the team is augmented by Swedish-born Palestinian winger Mahmoud Eid, who has already notched an impressive three assists and three goals this season.
For many of the players, however, this will be their first time playing in the ACL – the last time Bangkok United qualified for the group stages of the competition was in 2007. Known as Bangkok University back then, they finished bottom of their group without a win.
As such, Bangkok United captain Everton believes that the team will be extra motivated to get off to a good start against the Sailors.
“Everyone has been waiting for this moment, and we’re all really excited to play our first match,” the Brazilian centre-back said. “We’ve been training hard and preparing well for this game. The Sailors have very good players, but we have quality in our team as well, so it’ll hopefully be a great game and we’ll come out with the win.”
Incidentally, this match will be the first time that Totchawan is returning to Singapore after 20 years, with the 51-year-old previously turning out for the now-defunct Sembawang Rangers between 1998 to 2003.
Much has changed since, including the re-turfing of the Jalan Besar Stadium from natural grass into an artificial pitch.
Admitting that it may take some time for his players to get used to playing on artificial turf, Totchawan said: “We’ve been playing on natural grass, and we don’t have much time to get used to an artificial pitch.
“But my coaching staff has been giving information about how it’s like playing on artificial grass, and we might make certain tactical adjustments (to cope), but hopefully we can adapt to the pitch quickly.”
Everton added that the artificial turf will likely give the Sailors an advantage, as he explained: “They’re used to playing on these sorts of pitches, but not us. I previously played one tournament in Brazil (on artificial grass), so I’ve been telling the rest of the players that when you play on such a pitch, you cannot wait for the ball, because its movement can be unpredictable, and it’s easy to make mistakes if you’re not careful.”
Nonetheless, while the Sailors might have the home ground advantage, Totchawan has called on his players to step up on Wednesday and seize the opportunity to make both club and country proud.
“As Bangkok United, we not only represent the club, but also our country,” Totchawan said. “So, we’ll do our best and make it a historic day for the club by winning our first ACL game. We want to make everyone back home proud, and get our ACL campaign off to the best start.”
It was arguably one of the shock results of the group stages of last year’s Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL), and one that Lion City Sailors fans will remember for a long time.
But while the Sailors’ 3-0 win over South Korean side Daegu FC was a proud and historic day for the club, it also alerted the rest of Asia to the potential threat that the Singapore outfit posed.
According to Sailors attacker Maxime Lestienne, their creditable displays in their maiden ACL voyage last season – which saw them finish the group stage with seven points from six games – will discourage teams from underestimating them this year.
“Last year, we were considered the minnows of the competition, but I think we did a good job and surprised a few teams,” said the former PSV Eindhoven man. “But this year, other teams know more about us, so they’ll be able to better prepare for our game, which will definitely make it more difficult.”
The Sailors have been drawn in Group F for the 2023/24 ACL campaign, alongside Thai outfit Bangkok United – who they will face in their opening match this Wednesday (20 Sept) – Hong Kong Premier League side Kitchee SC, and two-time ACL champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
While Jeonbuk are considered favourites to top the group, Maxime believes that the Sailors have nothing to fear when they eventually face the Korean heavyweights.
“People are all talking about Jeonbuk as the favourites, but I don’t think there are any (favourites) in the group,” Maxime declared. “In football, you cannot be afraid of any team. Nothing is impossible – we have to go out there and play our football, follow our coach’s (Aleksandar Ranković) instructions, show our fighting spirit, and most importantly, believe in our quality.”
One player who will certainly add quality to the team is new signing Rui Pires, who joined the club in July after signing from Portuguese side FC Paços de Ferreira.
While 25-year-old Rui featured for the Sailors in the Tiger Cup encounter against Tottenham Hotspur two months ago, he has yet to make his competitive debut for the club.
Fan expectations of Rui are high, especially as the defensive midfielder boasts a wealth of experience at the top-level of football, with appearances in the Portuguese Primera Liga, French Ligue 2, and the UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifiers.
Rui, however, insists that he will thrive despite being under such scrutiny, as he explained: “I put the most pressure on myself every day, in every training session, in every game.
“This pressure drives me to play well and work hard to improve. I’ve been pushing myself and my teammates in training ever since I joined… I feel ready and motivated to finally make my competitive debut for the Sailors.”
Rui added that he is looking forward to playing against some of the biggest teams in the region.
“Since I joined the club, people have been speaking to me about the ACL and telling me all about the teams in the competition and the impressive stadiums that we’ll be playing in,” Rui revealed.
“We’re all aware that we’ll be going up against very good teams, and we’ll play difficult games in the competition. Every team has a lot of quality players, but so do we. The team holds high ambitions for the ACL, but we’ll approach it one game at a time and give our best effort.”
For Maxime, the goal for the Sailors in the ACL this year is clear: to do one better from last year, and progress from the group stage.
“My personal objective is to qualify for the knockout rounds,” Maxime said. “We have a balanced team with experience and youth, and we’ve learned from our experience last year.
“But ultimately, we have to give our all in every game so that when the group stage comes to an end, we can look back and be proud of what we did and have no regrets.
“In order to achieve our goals, all of us have to pull in the same direction and work hard to contribute to the team, regardless of whether you’re in the starting-11 or coming off from the bench. We’ll have to keep our focus and help each other on the pitch.”
On paper, the Lion City Sailors’ final game of the 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season against Geylang International at the Bishan Stadium on Saturday (16 September) appeared to be a dead rubber, at least for the hosts.
After all, the Sailors were already guaranteed to finish second in the league, regardless of the outcome of the match.
But as the famous saying goes, ‘winning is a habit’ – and that is exactly what the Sailors seemed intent on doing, with Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković fielding a strong line-up that included Diego Lopes, Maxime Lestienne, and Hariss Harun.
The game, however, did not quite go according to plan for Ranko’s charges in the first 45 minutes, with the Eagles matching the Sailors for large parts of the half.
Indeed, it was the visiting side that took the lead in the 31st minute when Yushi Yamaya stole in behind the Sailors’ defence to head home from close range.
“I think the obvious reason that we were down one goal is we weren’t at our 100 per cent in the first-half,” Ranko reflected. “The energy that I saw from our last game (a 8-2 victory over Hougang United) was missing, and that is why I made changes for the second half.”
And change Ranko did, as he brought on Lionel Tan and Haiqal Pashia for Maxime and Richairo Živković after the break.
The substitutions injected fresh energy into the Sailors’ play, with Pashia notably shining as a bright spark in the attack.
The 24-year-old came close to scoring the equaliser early in the second half when he flashed a header just wide of the goal.
Pashia went even closer a few minutes later as he beat his marker in the box after being found by Diego, but he could only fire the ball straight at Geylang custodian Hafiz Ahmad.
But the tide had undeniably turned in the Sailors’ favour, and in the 53rd minute, Shawal Anuar rose highest to expertly guide Chris van Huizen’s cross into the net for the equaliser and his 10th goal of the season.
With the wind in their sails, and egged on by the home support, the Sailors pushed forward relentlessly, and were duly rewarded in the 62nd minute with an outrageous long-range strike from Hami Syahin that left Hafiz grasping at air.
“I’ve been trying long shots the whole season, but they always either go out or are saved. So, I’m really pleased that one finally went in,” mused Hami, who was named the Man-of-the-Match.
With the lead in hand, the Sailors seemed poised to go on and exert control on the game.
But a momentary loss of focus in the 72nd minute saw the Sailors go down to 10 men, as Lionel received his marching orders after being adjudged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Rather than letting their heads drop, the Sailors regrouped and remained competitive, putting on a disciplined defensive display while looking to counter.
15-year-old Nathan Mao then came on and gave the Sailors a different element in attack in the final 10 minutes.
This tactic came close to paying off in the 85th minute when Pashia beat the offside trap, finding himself one-on-one with Hafiz. Unfortunately, his shot narrowly missed the target, striking the post and going out, much to the forward’s frustration.
But Pashia was not to be denied. Five minutes into stoppage time, he was set free down the left by a superb trivela pass from Nathan and, after spotting Hafiz off his line, calmly bent a shot into the back of the net for a well-deserved goal to seal the victory for the Sailors.
That also meant the 24-year-old scored in successive SPL games for the first time since September 2021.
After the game, Ranko commended his players for the tremendous physical effort they displayed, particularly after they were reduced to 10 men.
“Today, we played with a man less for a good 30 minutes, but you couldn’t really tell which team had a man down,” said Ranko. “That shows the effort they put in, and it’s a testament to all the hard work the players have put in to improving their fitness in training.”
Ranko also believes that the win over Geylang to close out the SPL season on a high will give his side a timely boost, as they now turn their attentions to the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) and Singapore Cup competitions.
“It’s always good to win, it gives us a boost for the matches that are coming up,” Ranko elaborated. “Apart from the first-half today, we’ve played well over the past few games, and I think we now have a good foundation for what’s coming next.”
Hami added: “We’re looking to carry this momentum into the ACL and Singapore Cup. It’s a whole different ball game in the ACL especially, but we’ll go out there to give our best and try to get as many wins as we can.”
The Sailors will next take on Thai outfit Bangkok United in the ACL at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday (20 Sep).
The final match day of the 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season will see the Lion City Sailors host Geylang International at Bishan Stadium on Saturday (16 September), the last match before the Sailors embark on their second Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) voyage.
The Sailors are in Group F alongside two-time ACL winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC, and Bangkok United, the Thai side that will line up at the Jalan Besar Stadium on 20 September in the opening group match.
The Geylang SPL fixture is the first time the Sailors will be in competitive action after a month-long September FIFA International window that saw 10 Sailors called up to a Singapore National Team squad that faced Tajikistan and Chinese Taipei at Bishan.
Zulqarnaen Suzliman, who endured a two-year wait before finally donning national colours again during the window, was grateful for the opportunity.
He said: “It’s great to be a part of the squad again after so long. I personally believe I have put in the hard work to get there again. Hopefully my form continues for both club and country.”
This “form” that the 25-year-old spoke of was exemplified in the Sailors’ last encounter against Geylang on 7 May.
While the headlines were all about Maxime Lestienne who fired two free-kicks past goalkeeper Hafiz Ahmad to give the Sailors a 2-1 victory, it was clear that the defensive masterclass put up by Zulqarnaen was equally important in helping the team secure all three points on the night.
Now fresh off back-to-back appearances for the national team in the heartlands of Bishan, Zulqarnaen will return to Bishan Stadium again, this time in the white, blue, and bold of the Sailors.
From his perspective, the key to earning all three points at the familiar ground is simple and clear.
”It’s all about preparation, Geylang is a good side and we have to be focused for the challenge. The three points is what matters most,” said Zulqarnaen.
Indeed, Saturday’s challenge is not one that the Sailors can take lightly.
In previous final-round SPL fixtures, Geylang have suffered big defeats at the hands of Albirex Niigata (S) and Balestier Khalsa, but the Eagles have also managed to record notable victories against the likes of Tampines Rovers and Brunei DPMM.
Nonetheless, Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković is going into the match brimming with confidence.
“I’ve watched Geylang a couple of times, we pretty much know how they play and like every game this season, we’re just going to focus on our team,” he said.
“It’s very important that we win because that will give us a boost going into the Champions League game in the week ahead.”
The Sailors have already secured second spot in the nine-team SPL standings, and while this fixture against Geylang will have no impact on the Sailors’ SPL season, Zulqarnaen and company are determined to go for the kill and finish the league campaign on a winning note this Saturday.
“We’re always here to compete and put in 100%, no matter the circumstances. This mindset stays the same – and that is to go out there and win,” he said, simply.
The winning mindset is a facet of football that Ranko wants deeply ingrained in his team.
“That’s something that we have been working on in the last two months I came here, and of course it’s something that doesn’t come in one day,” said the 45-year-old.
“But it is something we train for: to go out there fighting to win every match.”
Hariss Harun and the rest of the 14 Lion City Sailors who were called up to the various national teams returned to the Sailors Training Centre on Thursday (14 September) and immediately put their heads down, driving their feet towards the club’s second foray into the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL).
There is less than a week to 20 September, the day the Sailors will host Thai side Bangkok United at the Jalan Besar Stadium in their opening Group F ACL encounter, with two-time ACL champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC to come in the months ahead.
And there is little surprise that at Mattar Road, anticipation hangs heavy in the air.
The Sailors will fly the Singapore flag at the continent’s top-tier club competition again after an encouraging maiden voyage in the 2022 ACL, beating K League 1 side Daegu FC and Chinese Super League outfit Shandong Taishan enroute to securing seven points in a creditable campaign.
This time around, the Sailors look to add European pedigree to the Singapore spirit as they play at Asia’s top table.
“I’m obviously really excited because not a lot of people my age would have the chance to experience something like this, so this opportunity makes me really grateful and motivates me to work even harder,” said Nathan Mao, who became the Singapore Premier League’s (SPL) youngest-ever player at 15 years and 5 days old when he came on against Tampines Rovers earlier this year in March.
“I’ve been learning so much by training with the first team day in and day out and the senior players have been patiently guiding me with many tips. Nothing is guaranteed in football and I’m not going to think of how many minutes I’m going to play (in the ACL) – the key for me is to give my 110 percent and set my mentality right to help the team whenever I get the chance to go on the pitch.”
Nathan has a spread of potential “teachers” to learn from.
There is a strong European flavour at the club, with the likes of former Portugal youth captain Rui Pires, ex-Ajax Amsterdam forward Richairo Živković, former Sunderland defender Bailey Wright joining the likes of Maxime Lestienne and Diego Lopes – both of whom have played in some of Europe’s top leagues and impressed in the Sailors’ blue at last year’s ACL campaign.
Maxime, who has been in blistering form this season with 25 goals and 21 assists in the SPL, is adamant that the Sailors can go further in the ACL than any Singapore club has – or has even believed is possible.
“We had a great experience in 2022 and I believe we can qualify for the last 16 this time,” said the 31-year-old Belgian, who had one goal and two assists the previous ACL campaign.
“I know the squad has changed a lot from last season, but there’s still a lot of experience and quality in the team. I don’t want to say we’re going there to create a surprise, because it shouldn’t be a surprise – we have quality and we know what we can do.”
Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković, who was coaching in the Dutch Eredivisie as recently as this May, shares a similar confidence and has been gradually assembling the various parts in piecing together a plan for his Sailors to do the job out on the pitch.
And the signs are positive.
With the Sailors turning in a creditable performance in July’s Tiger Cup encounter against visiting English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at the National Stadium, and ending the SPL season with some high-scoring victories over Balestier Khalsa, Tampines and Hougang United, Ranko is excited at what his charges can produce in the ACL.
“The new boys like Bailey, Rui and Richairo arrived not long ago, but they are already very immersed in the team – interacting and communicating inside and outside the pitch. That’s the most important part of creating a team together and it makes my job so much easier – I can focus on more straightforward things like tactics and conditioning,” said the Serbian.
“We’ve players who have played in big matches internationally so there’s no issue for them to make the step up to play in the ACL. I have every reason to believe that we can be very competitive in this campaign.”
Looking beyond the on-paper expectations, Bailey drew inspiration from representing a club and community that he has embraced – and has started to embrace them.
“When I first heard that the shapes on our training kits, jerseys and ACL campaign designs were inspired by the triangles we see on the buildings around our Training Centre, I thought it was very apt, even heartwarming,” said the 31-year-old.
“We are representing Singapore at the competition, and it’s fantastic that we’re literally wearing the shapes and colours of our community and carrying all that on our chests and shoulders when we go into battle and aim to do them proud at the ACL.”
Like Bailey, an inspired Maxime is also braced for battle in the campaign ahead.
“Our players – even the new and young players – know what the club wants and requires from us, so there’s no excuse,” said the former PSV Eindhoven man.
“We know the ACL is a different level of competition, but we’re all ready to show our spirit to compete and show what a Singapore club can do.”
Tickets for the Sailors’ first AFC Champions League 2023/24 Group F game against Bangkok United is now on sale. Snap the tickets up now via https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/afclcs2023.
- Introduction
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- These terms and conditions, and any other documents and policies incorporated by reference, (“Terms”) shall apply to the #allhandsondeck – Season 24/25 Overseas Travel for Fans Cheering Crew competition (the “Competition”) organised by Lion City Sailors Private Limited (“Lion City Sailors”), and shall form a contract between you and Lion City Sailors.
- Your participation in the Competition constitutes your agreement to be bound by these Terms The offering of the Competition to you is conditional on your acceptance of these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not participate in the Competition.
- Lion City Sailors’ other policies (including, but not limited to, the Terms of Service available here) (“Policies”) also apply to your participation in the Competition – to the extent of any inconsistency between the Policies and these Terms, the Policies shall prevail.
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- Competition Period
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- The competition shall run from 2 September 2024 to 23 March 2025 (“Competition Period”).
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- Competition Mechanics
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- To participate in the Competition, you must be a member of the Lion City Sailors official membership program – The Deck.
- To participate in the Competition, you must submit the application form via the designated link, with all compulsory fields completed and ensure that all information provided is accurate (“Application Form”).
- To participate in the Competition, you must use your personal Instagram or Facebook account to post on your own Instagram or Facebook page, and must ensure that each entry is (i) public, (ii) tags @lioncitysailors.fc, and (iii) contains the hashtags #allhandsondeck and #TheDeckTalentCall during the Competition Period. Entries of Facebook/Instagram posts to the Competition are limited to one per participant / person.
- Successful applications will be chosen by the Lion City Sailors marketing department and will be judged on creativity (in its sole discretion).
- At least seven (7) applications winners will be selected for each away match, from amongst the pool of applicants who have indicated their availability for such match in their Application Form. Each Prize (“Prize”) is a trip for one person to one of the designated destinations in the 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) #ShopeeCup and AFC Champions League #ACLTwo campaigns. The Prize shall include a return flight to one of the designated destinations, two night’s accommodation in the designated destinations, local transfers, basic travel insurance and one match ticket to the ACC Shopee Cup or ACL Two Fixture (details of airlines and hotels to be determined by Lion City Sailors at its discretion and communicated to the winners separately).
- Each Prize winner will be contacted through social media direct messaging by Lion City Sailors. In the event that Lion City Sailors is unable to contact or receive a response from a winner after three (3) attempts, a replacement Prize winner will be chosen.
- Acceptance of a Prize by a winner shall constitute agreement for the winner to take part in such related promotional activities as Lion City Sailors may require.
- The Prize winner must meet travel, health and other conditions under Singapore and the designated destinations laws and regulations, including presenting proof of vaccinations and a valid passport. The Prize winner will also be responsible for all other costs in connection with travelling to the ACC or ACL Fixture, including, but not limited to, the costs of any COVID-19 tests and any COVID-19 related eventualities and personal travel expenditures (e.g dining / drinking, forms of transport beyond those mentioned above, additional travel insurance, etc).
- Unless otherwise determined by Lion City Sailors, each participant shall only be entitled to win one Prize during the Competition Period, and Prize winners shall be removed from the pool of potential winners for any future away matches.
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- Conditions
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- By participating in the Competition, you represent, warrant and undertake that:
- you are are ordinarily resident in Singapore and:
- are at least eighteen (18) years old; or
- if you are under eighteen (18) years old, you:
(A) have obtained consent from your parent or guardian to participate in the Competition (“Parent/Guardian”)
(B) will ensure that your Parent/Guardian submits a separate Participation Form;
(C) if selected as a Prize winner, you must be accompanied by your Parent/Guardian at all times during the trip; - you and your immediate family members are not employed by Lion City Sailors or its associated promotional partners, companies or suppliers; and
- you will comply with all applicable laws when participating in the Competition.
- By participating in the Competition, you represent, warrant and undertake that:
- By participating in the Competition, you acknowledge and agree that:
- the Competition is deemed void to the extent prohibited by applicable laws;
- entries to the Competition are deemed void if Lion City Sailors determine (in its sole discretion) that such entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft;
- the decisions of Lion City Sailors are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to the Competition (including, but not limited to, selection of the winner of the Prize);
- the Prize is non-transferable and non-exchangeable for cash or any other prizes;
- you grant Lion City Sailors a non‐exclusive, royalty‐free, transferable, sub-licensable, irrevocable, perpetual worldwide licence and right to use (including commercial use), distribute, reproduce, display and otherwise make available any content that you provide in connection with the Competition (including, but not limited to, your entry as well as your name, likeness and/or voice) (“Provided Materials”), warrant that you have all rights necessary to grant such licence over the Provided Materials, and that Lion City Sailors may use your Provided Materials in any publicity or advertising relating to the Competition or future competitions held by Lion City Sailors without compensation or approval (subject to applicable law);
- the Competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Inc. and its affiliates, and you agree to completely release Facebook, Inc and its affiliates from any and all liability in connection with the Competition;
- you may be required to provide and/or sign additional documents and forms prior to (and as a condition for) your receipt of the Prize, and elements of the Prize (including flights, hotels and other transport legs will be subject to the terms and conditions of third party service providers); and
- you agree to use, and assist with the transport of, game-day fan equipment such as drums, drum sticks and flags (further details will be conveyed to prize winners separately).
- Changes to / cancellation of Competition
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- Lion City Sailors reserves the right to (in its sole discretion): (a) amend or vary any of these Terms (or any other rule of the Competition), or suspend or cancel the Competition at any time, including, but not limited to, where for any reason the Competition is not capable of running as planned, due to any causes beyond the control of Lion City Sailors that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Competition (including, but not limited to, any changes to the dates, time or location of the 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) #ShopeeCup and AFC Asian Champions League #ACLTwo); and (b) suspend or disqualify your participation in the Competition at any time, including, but not limited to, (i) where you breach any of the provisions of these Terms or the Policies, (ii) where your participation in the Competition is deemed by Lion City Sailors to be inappropriate, unsuitable or detrimental to Lion City Sailors, or (iii) where Lion City Sailors determines at its sole discretion that you have engaged in any fraudulent or suspicious activities, including if your social media account is not used for genuine social networking purposes (e.g. bot/fake accounts, accounts used to disseminate false/misleading information, etc.).
- For the avoidance of doubt, cancellation, termination or suspension by Lion City Sailors of the Competition shall not entitle any party to any claim or compensation against Lion City Sailors for any and all losses or damage suffered or incurred as a direct or indirect result of the act of cancellation, termination or suspension of the Competition.
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- Data Protection
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- By participating in the Competition, you are deemed to have consented to: (i) the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data (including, but not limited to your name, image, voice and/or likeness, if applicable) by Lion City Sailors for editorial, advertising, competitional, marketing and/or other purposes without any payment and/or compensation except where prohibited by law; and (ii) receiving competitional, marketing and other publicity information from Lion City Sailors from time to time.
- Please also refer to Lion City Sailors’ Privacy Policy (available here). By participating in the Competition, you consent to Lion City Sailors’ collection, use, disclosure and/or processing of your personal data as described in the Privacy Policy.
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- Disclaimers
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- To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Competition (and any systems used to provide the Competition) is provided “as is” and without any warranties, claims or representations made by Lion City Sailors of any kind either express, implied or statutory with respect to the Competition, including without limitation warranties of quality, performance, non-infringement, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose, nor are there any warranties created by course of dealing, course of performance or trade usage. Without limiting the foregoing, Lion City Sailors do not warrant that the Competition (and any systems used to provide the Competition) will be available, accessible, uninterrupted, timely, secure, accurate, complete or error-free, that defects, if any, will be corrected, or that they are free of harmful code. You acknowledge that the entire risk arising out of your participation in the Competition (and use of any systems used to provide the Competition) remains with you to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
- Lion City Sailors does not assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any Losses resulting from (i) any errors in communication associated with the Competition, (ii) any problems with the Prize; and (iii) any use of the Prize.
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- Indemnity; Liability
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- To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Lion City Sailors and its affiliates and their respective officers, directors, employees, subcontractors and agents from and against any and all Losses, whether foreseeable or not, directly resulting from any third party claims, investigations, legal or administrative action, litigation or arbitrations or demands to the extent arising out of or relating to: (a) any actual breach of any of your representations, warranties, covenants, or obligations under these Terms; and (b) any breach of any third party’s rights.
- To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, under no circumstances shall Lion City Sailors be liable to you for any losses, liabilities, damages, fines, judgments, settlements, costs, expenses, and fees (including reasonable and justified attorney’s fees), including, but not limited to: (a) indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive or special damages whatsoever; or (b) loss of profits, loss of business, loss of opportunity or loss of goodwill, whether foreseeable or not, arising out of or related to this terms of service, regardless of the forum and regardless of whether based on breach of contract, tort (including, without limitation, negligence), misrepresentation, under statute or otherwise (“Losses”). Your only right with respect to any problems or dissatisfaction with the Competition is to discontinue participation in the Competition. If, notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Lion City Sailors is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be liable for any Losses, Lion City Sailors’ total liability to you or any third party is limited to SGD 100 (one hundred Singapore dollars).
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- Other
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- Lion City Sailors may revise and update these Terms at any time in its sole discretion by posting an updated version. It is your responsibility to check regularly to determine if any changes have been made (and the effect of such changes). All such changes to these Terms are effective immediately when posted and apply to your participation in the Competition thereafter. Your continued participation in the Competition following the posting of such revised Terms constitutes your acceptance and agreement to the changes which are binding on you.
- These Terms and any non-contractual rights or obligations arising out of or in connection with it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore.
- You shall do all things necessary, including executing all documents necessary, to give effect to the intention of the parties under these Terms.
- Failure by Lion City Sailors to enforce any of their rights at any stage under these Terms does not constitute a waiver of those rights.
- Any dispute, controversy, difference or claim arising under or relating to these Terms shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre in Singapore in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre for the time being in force, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Clause. The seat of the arbitration shall be Singapore. This arbitration agreement shall be governed by Singapore law. The Tribunal shall consist of three (3) arbitrators and the language of the arbitration shall be English.
- A person who is not a party to these Terms shall have no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act (Cap 53B) to enforce these Terms.
The Lion City Sailors Women go into the month-long international break with a resounding 6-1 victory over Tampines Rovers in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Sunday (27 August).
Boosted by the return of Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan and skipper Ernie Sulastri Sontaril, the Sailors turned in a dominating performance at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, with five players – including teenagers Josephine Ang and Cara Chang – getting their names on the score sheet.
Young guns from the Sailors’ pipeline are turning in consistent performances in a team defending their WPL title, and Sheau Shyan believes this augurs well for the future, especially because of how the team has come together to help these young ones grow.
“Our senior players have been very helpful, they are really leading the team and bringing in the younger girls. This has been one big factor that has helped the younger ones – who are already good technical players – settle down really quickly,” said Sheau Shyan, speaking after the win that cements the Sailors’ position atop the 10-team WPL standings.
With 34 points from 12 matches, the Sailors remain four points ahead of second-placed Albirex Niigata (S) and eight in front of third-placed Hougang United.
“The young ones are now building the confidence to attack and I’m very impressed with the way they play and how they give their 100% every game throughout the 90 minutes,” added Ernie.
It was one of the young guns who set the Sailors on their way on the evening. Driving down the left flank, Cara pummelled the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 in the first minute of the match.
After seeing one chance after another go to waste in the next half an hour, it came all at once for the Sailors.
Josephine extended the lead in the 38th minute, her right-wing cross-shot dipping into the top corner of the Stags’ goal.
14-year-old Cara then put the Sailors 3-0 up with her second goal of the night two minutes later, with a cool finish after Izzati Rosni’s shot was parried into her path.
Several fouls were given by both sides in a feistier second half.
Izzati’s free kick in the 50th minute may have hit the crossbar, but she made no mistake a minute later by netting a penalty won by Cara who was a constant threat to the Tampines defence – and she did it in style with dispatching it with nonchalant no-look effort two minutes later.
As the game passed the hour mark, Lila Tan got in on the action, capitalising on a mistake by the Tampines defence with an easy finish to make it 5-0.
Tampines pulled a goal back through Farhanah Ruhaizat in the 82nd minute. The Stags attacker became the first player to score against Sailors goalkeeper Beatrice Tan this season with her scuffed finish off a long punt catching the Sailors defence off-guard.
Any hope of a dramatic comeback was quashed by Sailors skipper Ernie in the 90th minute. The 35-year-old’s freekick from just outside the Tampines box curled right into the top corner and her first goal of the season made her the 16th different goalscorer in the Sailors’ squad this season.
“It’s very rare for me to want to take a free kick but I have been practicing from that area with my one-on-one coach so I felt more confident,” said Ernie. “I thought, ‘let me try and take this’. I think the training was worth it.”
The win also marks the final game for Natasha Naszri, who is set to leave for Spain under an Unleash The Roar! football scholarship. The youngster came on to replace Ho Hui Xin with 20 minutes to go.
“I’m really sad to leave the club I’ve been with for five years but to go overseas is a good opportunity for me to grow. I’ve learned a lot about attitude and discipline here at the Sailors, and those are things I will take with me to Spain,” said Natasha.
“I will miss my friends and coaches and also the fans for being there and supporting me throughout the years.”
While sad to see her go, Ernie was delighted that Natasha can join the growing list of young Singaporean female footballers venturing abroad.
Said Ernie: “Natasha’s at this young age, and it’s a good chance for her to learn as much as she can in Spain. They’ve got top teams and have just won the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and I believe she can grow as a player in Spain and become a top player for Singapore.”
The Sailors will next see WPL action on Sunday 15 October, when they line up against fifth-placed Tanjong Pagar United.
After eking out a gritty 1-0 win over Still Aerion in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) the last time out, the Lion City Sailors Women turn their attentions to Tampines Rovers at Choa Chu Kang Stadium this Sunday (27 August).
This is a chance for the Sailors Women to end August on a perfect note, having strung three straight victories in the WPL, including a 10-0 thumping of Tiong Bahru on 5 August.
Yeong Sheau Shyan’s charges are perched atop the 10-team WPL on 31 points, four clear of nearest challengers Albirex Niigata (S), who are due to face Geylang International on 26 August.
With a spate of injuries and absences forcing them to name a matchday squad of only 13 players against Still Aerion, midfielder Ho Hui Xin acknowledged that the result was a precious one.
“While the bench was thin, I felt that we could have managed the game better with the quality of players we had,” admitted the 31-year-old, who has donned the captain’s armband on several occasions this season.
“It was frustrating to come up against an Aerion side who pressed us hard, but I’m thankful we came away with the win as we did not want to drop unnecessary points at this stage of the season.”
Despite the Sailors’ run of form, Hui Xin believes there is still room for improvement as they come up against a Tampines side who are sixth in the WPL and are currently on a five-game winless streak, having last tasted victory in a 6-1 win over Tiong Bahru on 24 June.
While they have lost the services of Giselle Blümke and defender Sara Hayduchok who joined the Sailors in the mid-season transfer window, Tampines still boast plenty of experience in Singapore Women’s National Team players Farhanah Ruhaizat and Stephanie Dominguez.
“I expect them (Tampines) to throw everything at us and we definitely cannot take anything for granted,” said Hui Xin of their opponents whom they beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture on May 21.
“We need to be better in playing the ball forward and have the confidence that things will work out. We just need to continue to play the football that we are used to, hopefully that will translate into results for us.”
With the likes of Josephine Ang and Cara Chang breaking into the WPL squad and already impressing this season, Hui Xin believes these younger players have a part to play in the team’s success.
“While they may still be teenagers, they are technically sound and complement the senior players, allowing us to perform better as a team,” pointed out the Singapore international.
“Jo has got a few goals under her belt, while Cara also scored her first goal recently. I hope they will continue to get better and fire us to victory against Tampines to keep the momentum going.“
