Category: News
Three games, three wins, 14 goals scored, and just a solitary goal conceded.
It has been close to a perfect start to the season for the Lion City Sailors’ Women team, who find themselves top of the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) following their 4-0 win over Still Aerion FC on Saturday night (16 July).
Laser-focused on their target of winning the WPL this season, the Sailors have thus far gone about their business in ruthless fashion, and have arguably established themselves as the team to beat in the league.
However, head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan is keenly aware that the season is still young, and that her team has not achieved anything yet. As such, she was quick to emphasise the need for them to focus on their long-term targets, and to focus on the process rather than the results.
“People may see us as the favourites because we carry the Sailors name, but they probably don’t know how hard the team is working to try and get to where we want to be,” said Sheau Shyan.
“I just hope the fans and football lovers will judge us by the football we are trying to play, and not just the result at the end.
“If we can keep our squad together and stay focused on our long-term targets, I’m confident we should be able to reach our goals.”
Indeed, despite the comprehensive margin of victory over Aerion, Sheau Shyan admitted that the scoreline did not fully reflect how challenging the match actually was.
The first-half, in particular, proved to be a cagey affair, although in-form midfielder Nur Izzati Rosni opened the scoring for the Sailors in the 29th minute.
But it was only after the break, when forward Danelle Tan struck in the 47th minute, that the Sailors really began to take control of the game.
Both Izzati and Danelle then scored in quick succession in the 60th and 61st minute respectively to seal all three points for the Sailors.
Reflecting on the victory, Sheau Shyan said: “It was a very tight match in the first half. Aerion pressed us well and denied us space and time to play our usual style. We came back in the second half with some tactical changes and got the goals early.
“That helped with our confidence, and we were then able to put into play the things that we’ve been working on. Overall, I was very pleased that the team stuck to our game plan and met our training objectives.”
But there remain issues that require improvement.
“We are not defending as a team the way we want to. That’s what we will have to improve before the next fixture,” she said.
Sheau Shyan’s insistence on continuous improvement stems from her belief that the second round of WPL fixtures will likely pose new challenges for the Sailors women, with the rest of the teams set to bolster their squads.
“The transfer window will open soon, and some clubs will add to their squad. Albirex Niigata (S), for example, have already done so,” explained Sheau Shyan, pointing to the White Swans’ signing of former Japan international Kana Kitahara.
“It will be different in the second round of fixtures, especially now that all the clubs are back training and playing regularly, so we have to improve and be ready.”
Sailors stifled in frustrating Geylang draw
The Lion City Sailors faced frustration in their bid to retain their Singapore Premier League (SPL) crown on Saturday (16 July) evening, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Geylang International at Our Tampines Hub (OTH).
The Sailors’ lead at the top of the SPL standings has now whittled down to five points, with second-placed Albirex Niigata (S) closing the gap, winning 4-1 against Balestier Khalsa in a concurrent game on the night.
Šime Žužul’s penalty opener for the Eagles was quickly cancelled out by Shahdan Sulaiman’s long-range strike, but the Sailors could not find the breakthrough in the second half at OTH and were forced to settle for a point.
While acknowledging his disappointment with recent results, Sailors Head Coach Kim Do-hoon asserted that he retains confidence in his players and believes this run is more a blip than anything else.
“The boys performed okay today, they did what we prepared for in training, but we perhaps didn’t do well enough on this artificial pitch and didn’t help ourselves by conceding first,” said the 51-year-old.
“We’re not happy with the result, but it’s probably one of those moments in the season (where a team struggles a bit for form). I’m sure we can shake it off and pick things up again in the next game.”
Coming into this on the back of a three-match winning run, Geylang were brimming with confidence and kept the Sailors largely at bay until the 27th minute when Diego Lopes somehow nodded wide from close range after Song Ui-young had flicked on Shahdan’s corner.
The hosts thought they had opened the scoring nine minutes later when Hazzuwan Halim prodded in after Khairul Hairie’s deflected ball floated into his path, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Noor Ali’s charges did eventually break the deadlock on 43 minutes, with Žužul converting from the spot after Hazzuwan was adjudged to have been tripped in the area by Zulqarnaen Suzliman.
However, the Sailors rallied and equalised three minutes into first-half injury time, with Hafiz Nor teeing Shahdan up for a 25-yard shot that took a touch off Abdil Qaiyyim before deceiving Zaiful Nizam in the Geylang goal.
Kim’s men carried that momentum into the second half, but front man Kim Shin-wook failed to find the target with a couple of headers, while Song drew a sprawling save from Zaiful with a fierce left-footed strike.
At the other end, Sailors custodian Hassan Sunny had to stand up strong to deny Hazzuwan in a one-on-one opportunity in the 68th minute to keep the score level.
With Haiqal Pashia and Gabriel Quak introduced into the fray to add attacking impetus, the Sailors threatened to score in the final 10 minutes but were thwarted by a combination of poor finishing and solid last-ditch defending by Geylang.
The draw was perhaps a fair reflection of the game as the Sailors look to reflect and regroup, before entertaining Tampines Rovers at Jalan Besar Stadium next Sunday (24 July).
“I don’t want to point fingers at individuals. All I can say is we just have to get back to playing the LCS way,” said Coach Kim.
“In the next game, we’re going to fight for the win while playing the style of football that we aspire to play.”
A defender by trade, Nur Syazwani Ruzi is usually more concerned about preventing goals, rather than scoring them.
But the 20-year-old may have just had a change of heart.
This comes after the Lion City Sailors star found herself on the scoresheet for the Singapore National Women’s Team on Tuesday (July 12), as her opportunistic strike in added time helped the Lionesses seal a momentous 2-0 win over Indonesia in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship.
It was a strike that was celebrated raucously by a relieved Singapore side, which had spent the best part of 45 minutes defending a one-goal lead that Sailors midfielder Nur Izzati Rosni had given them.
More importantly, it cemented the Lionesses’ first win at the tournament in 18 years.
Inspired by the high of scoring such a crucial goal, Syazwani is now determined to get on the scoresheet on a more regular basis, with the Sailors standing to benefit from her new-found thirst for goals.
“It was a surreal, indescribable feeling to have scored my first international goal,” Syazwani gushed. “I still can’t believe that it really happened, but it has definitely motivated me to hopefully score a few more goals for the Sailors in the season ahead.”
The first team that will have to deal with Syazwani’s resolve to score are Still Aerion FC, the Sailors’ opponent in Saturday night’s (16 July) Deloitte Women’s Premier League fixture.
While the 12 Sailors who were called up for the AFF Women’s Championship only returned to Singapore on Wednesday night (13 July), head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan is not worried about her players suffering from fatigue, despite having taken part in a gruelling international tournament this past month.
“The players were present at yesterday’s training session and the atmosphere was lively, everyone was ready to play,” Sheau Shyan declared.
“Player sharpness may be a bit off, but there are a few days for them to rest up before the game against Aerion. The real challenge is to get them to adapt from a no-nonsense defensive mode to playing possession-based attacking football.
“It’s moving from one extreme to the other, and we only have the benefit of one session to help them make that transition.”
Syazwani believes that the unity of the team, as well as the professionalism of each player, will help tide the Sailors past Aerion.
“I don’t think player fatigue will be an issue, as each and every one of us takes care of our individual rest and recovery,” Syazwani explained.
“I think the team spirit is there, and with the help of the technical team, we will be ready for Aerion.
“We do need to have more ideas in attack, like getting the right combinations in the final third. Our chemistry is there, but not 100% yet. But I’m confident that our chemistry and understanding will come sooner rather than later.”
Nonetheless, Sheau Shyan is wary of underestimating Aerion, who have won twice and lost once so far this season.
“Aerion are a very resilient team,” said Sheau Shyan. “It’s not easy to break down a team like that. They have speedy attackers who can cause problems. Stephanie, Farhanah, Afiqah can all do damage if we’re not careful.”
Agreeing, Syazwani added: “They (Aerion) will surely go hard because they will be determined to get the three points.
“But we will fight hard for it too, as we want to win every game and get to the top of the table.”
After an enthralling 1-1 draw with Hougang United that saw them extend their lead at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings to seven points, the Lion City Sailors face Geylang International next in a tough away game at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Saturday (16 July) evening.
The Eagles have been in imperious form of late, winning their last three matches without conceding a single goal to lift themselves out of the bottom two.
Noor Ali’s side posed some serious questions to the Sailors this season, and are one of only two teams – along with Albirex Niigata (S) – to claim a win over the defending champions. Geylang ran out 1-0 winners at OTH earlier this year in March and were perhaps unlucky not to claim a point in a 1-0 defeat at Jalan Besar two months later.
Acutely aware of the challenge ahead, Sailors winger Haiqal Pashia stressed the importance of imposing themselves and the club’s philosophy from the get-go.
“Geylang has been in fantastic form and everyone can see that. But I guess it’s time for us to break that run of theirs. It’s not easy playing them at their home ground and they’ll try to limit the space in our attacking third, so we’ll need to capitalise on our chances and score early to get the three points,” said the 23-year-old.
Making a great impact off the bench to set up Song Ui-young’s equaliser against the Cheetahs gave Pashia much satisfaction on a personal level, despite the fact that the result did not.
“It felt great to make an assist just four minutes after coming on and that’s what I always aim for – to make a tangible impact whenever I’m on the field. But we’re a team that wants to win every game, so in that sense we are not happy with the result,” he said.
“There are lessons we drew from that game, and we’ve been training hard this week to set things right and put in a better display against Geylang,” he shared.
With Coach Kim Do-hoon previously describing him as one of the most improved players in the Sailors’ camp, Pashia is not taking that praise for granted as he looks to grow even more.
“It’s fantastic for me that Coach Kim has so much belief in my abilities, but that only means I must do even more to show that I deserve his praise,” said Pashia who dreams of getting a first senior international call-up to join the Lions.
“I’m slowly progressing to become the player I want to be and it helps that we have a player like Maxime (Lestienne) as our teammate. He’s been guiding me, advising me how to make off-the-ball runs, how to take on players – giving me tips here and there. So, it’s great just to learn from a player who has played in top European leagues before,” he said.
And Pashia is determined to prove himself a worthy first-team member of the Sailors.
“I’m pushing really hard every day in training and in games. Everyone knows how fierce the competition for places in our team is, but I’m up for the challenge,” he said.
“Whenever Coach Kim puts me on the pitch, that is my time to impress and display the qualities I have. Hopefully I get more minutes against Geylang and help the team to get the result we want.”
Sailors held by resolute Hougang
The Lion City Sailors were held to a 1-1 draw by a resolute Hougang United in an enthralling Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening (9 July).
The draw sees the Sailors extend their lead at the top of the SPL standings to seven points, but it could have been nine points instead.
The Cheetahs did an excellent job of nullifying the Sailors’ threats – taking the lead through Kristijan Krajček before Song Ui-young came off the bench to net an equaliser – and claimed a well-deserved point off the defending champions.
While visibly disappointed at not being able to capitalise on nearest challengers Albirex Niigata (S)’s slip-up – a 2-1 loss to Tanjong Pagar United the previous night – Sailors Head Coach Kim Do-hoon gave credit to the way his charges kept plugging away until the final whistle.
“We’re a team that should never be happy if it’s less than three points. From that perspective, the feeling is disappointment. But the boys ran and never stopped trying until the game finished, so I’m happy with the commitment I saw tonight,” said the 51-year-old.
The Sailors started off well and could have taken the lead on 13 minutes, but Kim Shin-wook’s header off Maxime Lestienne’s left-wing cross crashed off the Hougang crossbar.
Resolute in defence, the Cheetahs made it difficult for the Sailors to break through. The home side’s next clear opportunity came just before half-time, with Shin-wook nodding another Maxime cross straight at Hougang custodian, Mukundan Maran.
The Cheetahs came out for the second half with much more attacking vigour and went close to opening the scoring on 52 minutes, but Hassan Sunny excellently thwarted Shawal Anuar in a one-on-one situation.
Zulqarnaen Suzliman was brought on in the 55th minute for his first Sailors appearance since returning to the club during the mid-season transfer window, slotting in at right-back to good effect. But Hougang managed to break the deadlock in the 66th minute, with Krajček slotting a Shawal right-wing cross in off the post.
Haiqal Pashia and Song were then introduced from the bench, with the substitutes combining to devastating effect. Song produced a velvet touch off Pashia’s low cross in the 71st minute to restore parity for the Sailors.
Coach Kim was delighted that his coaching team’s substitutions worked out well.
“Those were changes which our coaching team pondered over during the game, and we’re happy that our decisions turned out to be good.
“Even Mamat (Zulqarnaen) played phenomenally well and played exactly how we wanted him to play. He hasn’t had much training with the team, but the way he played seemed like he had been with us for the whole year. We’re excited about what more he can bring to us.
“We’re happy that every one of the boys have shown that they are ready and on their feet to help the team whenever they are called upon,” said Kim.
Song’s goal set up a grandstand finish to the match, with both teams going out in search of the winner.
The Sailors went agonisingly close on a couple of occasions, but had Hassan to thank for keeping them in the game. The 38-year-old pulled off two excellent stops to deny Krajček and Pedro Bortoluzo in injury time to preserve the point for the leaders.
The draw was not an ideal result for the Sailors.
Coach Kim pointed to ‘game management’ as a key area to work on before his team’s next outing – an away game against an in-form Geylang International next Saturday (16 July).
“Football’s not just a high-tempo game – it’s about knowing how to slow down, how to control the tempo and how to breathe with the ball.
“We will analyse this game and see how we can do better for the next one.”
Gabriel back on song and eyeing even more
The Lion City Sailors thumped Tanjong Pagar 6-0 last Sunday (3 July) and remained six points clear at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings, but with Albirex Niigata (S) hot on their heels and having a game in hand, the defending champions can ill-afford to rest on their laurels in their pursuit of a second straight SPL title.
Next up for Kim Do-hoon’s men is a home clash against Hougang United at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening (9 July).
Sailors attacker Gabriel Quak stressed the importance of putting in another solid team display to overpower the Cheetahs.
Hougang are a side that acquitted themselves well in the recent Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup with two wins in three matches, and won handsomely in a 4-0 trouncing of Young Lions on their return to domestic football on Tuesday (5 July).
“Hougang did well in the AFC Cup – they’re scoring plenty of goals at the moment and have some fine passing movements in their play. So, we’ll need to settle down really quickly and play to our strengths against them,” said Gabriel.
“I’ve some really good friends there like Zul (Zulfahmi Arifin), Shahfiq (Ghani) and Sahil (Suhaimi) – there are many familiar faces. They’ll surely be going for the win, and likewise for us – so it should be a really good and open game for the fans.”
Gabriel and his Sailors are looking to continue in the same relentless vein that brought the resounding victory over Tanjong Pagar.
“What’s pleasing was not just witnessing how we executed everything that we practised on the training ground, but also our approach and the desire to go for more goals even after being a few goals up.
“It could have been easy to rest on our laurels after going 3-0 up, but it’s important that we respect the game, the opponents and our fans. They paid to come and watch us, and football is all about scoring goals and providing entertainment, so we knew we needed to play and give everything until the final whistle,” said the 31-year-old.
The win at Jurong East also gave Gabriel joy on a personal level. He scored his first brace of the season and is now the joint-top local scorer with Albirex’s Ilhan Fandi on five goals.
It has been a challenging 2022 for the effervescent attacker, who missed the start of the season due to a shoulder operation and had to be patient for regular playing time in a squad that oozes quality in attacking areas.
“It’s always tough to come back from a long injury, but I knew what I wanted – to come back quickly and contribute to the team. It’s not easy for sure, there are so many options in our team and I’m sure Coach Kim has a selection headache,” said Gabriel.
“For me, I always believe in focusing on what is within my control. Whether I play or not is not in my hands, but when given the opportunity to play, be it five or 10 or 90 minutes, I go all out and give 100 percent to the cause. I’m happy with Sunday’s showing, but now I’m definitely looking to do more.”
It looked like a tricky test on paper, but a furious start to each half of football saw the Lion City Sailors make light work of Tanjong Pagar United in a resounding 6-0 victory at the Jurong East Stadium on Sunday evening (3 July). This was the second win on the trot as the Sailors put the 2-1 defeat to Albirex Niigata (S) on 24 June firmly behind them.
An electric start to the game made all the difference as the Sailors opened up a three-goal lead within the first 18 minutes, before scoring another three goals within 10 frenetic minutes of the restart to tear apart a Jaguars side that had won their previous three home games.
Gabriel Quak and Diego Lopes netted clinical braces, while Maxime Lestienne starred with a goal and three assists. Captain Hariss Harun netted another in what was an all-round team display that drew praise from Head Coach Kim Do-hoon.
The victory meant the defending champions extended their lead at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) table to nine points, although closest challengers Albirex have two games in hand and have a chance to close the gap against Tampines Rovers on Monday (4 July).
“I can talk all night about individuals, but this was a team effort. The boys gave everything, kept their organisation, their level of focus was top-notch and they didn’t let up until the final whistle.
“What really pleased me is that the boys delivered exactly what we prepared on the training pitch, so credit goes to every one of them,” said the 51-year-old.
Man-of-the-Match Diego sang from the same hymn book after another game that put on display the blossoming inter-continental chemistry between the Brazilian and his Belgian teammate, Maxime.
“Sometimes we players can over-complicate by dribbling too much or taking an extra touch, but actually football can be simple. Maxime and I play simple – one-two and move forward. We practise this a lot in training so it becomes easier when we play the game,” said the former Rio Ave man.
“It’s an important victory to show the strength of our group – not just those who started, but also those on the bench. I received a lot of balls from my teammates which made it easier for me and also helped us to play good team football.”
With Tanjong Pagar making the decision to bench three of their four foreigners and seemingly going for a soak-and-strike approach, the pre-match chatter was that the Sailors will likely have to be patient to wear down the Jaguars.
But the Sailors broke through with just two minutes on the clock.
Maxime was alive and alert in the area to tap home after everyone else had failed to make contact with Hafiz Nor’s deep cross from the right.
The goalscorer then turned provider in the 15th minute with a searing through pass that cut right through the entire Tanjong Pagar defence for Gabriel to slot past Zharfan Rohaizad in the Tanjong Pagar goal.
The Sailors continued in the same relentless attacking vein and duly made it 3-0 three minutes later, with Song Ui-young holding up play to tee up Hariss, whose speculative shot from outside the area bounced home after taking a deflection.
Hassan Sunny had to be alert at the other end to pull off a stunning point-blank save from Shodai Nishikawa just before half time to keep the three-goal lead intact at the break.
Tanjong Pagar brought on their big guns in Reo Nishiguchi and Blake Ricciuto in the second half, but it was the Sailors who emerged from the dressing room with more vigour and extended their lead on 52 minutes, with Diego nodding in Maxime’s inswinging cross from the right to cap off a great team move.
The game was sewn up before the hour mark, with Gabriel finding space in the area in the 54th minute, and and thrashed home his second in emphatic fashion, before Maxime chalked up his third assist of the night, teeing up Diego for the Brazilian’s second goal of the night just two minutes later.
The Sailors kept it tight at the back for the remainder of the match at Jurong East, with Hassan keeping his sixth league clean sheet of the season to round off a good evening’s work for the Sailors.
“We only knew Tanjong Pagar’s starting lineup just before the match, but like I’ve said before, we’re always focused on our own football,” said Kim.
“I told the boys that we just have to stay focused, stick to the plan we’ve prepared, and play the football we want to play. And I’m happy they did exactly that to get the win.”
We must stay focused and committed: Hassan
An emphatic midweek 5-1 win over Young Lions marked a return to winning ways, but a tougher test awaits the Lion City Sailors on Sunday evening (3 July) as they make the trip to the west to take on high-flying Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium.
Lying third in the eight-team Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings with six wins and four draws from 13 matches, the Jaguars have enjoyed a fine season and could prove to be a tough nut to crack. Hasrin Jailani’s side won their last three home matches, although they did suffer defeat on the road in a 1-0 reverse to Geylang International last Sunday (26 June).
While the Sailors triumphed 6-1 at Jalan Besar the last time both sides met in April, Hassan Sunny does not believe in reading too much into that result, preferring instead to focus on the Sailors’ desire to evolve into an even better football team with each passing game.
“Every opponent we play now is out there to beat us – there’s no doubt about that. When Coach Kim (Do-hoon) asked Mamat (Zulqarnaean Suzliman) how his former teammates at Young Lions are going to approach the game against us, he said they want to win,” said the 38-year-old, who was particularly heartened by the good shift that Saifullah Akbar put in against the Young Lions.
The midfielder made his first start for the Sailors since March and has not had the best of times this season, but Saifullah’s commitment to improvement is exactly the approach to training that Hassan believes will help the team take things to the next level.
“The amount of hard work you put in for the team overshadows whatever quality you have, in my opinion. Saifullah has not been playing that regularly this year, but given the chance, he gave everything and put in a lot of effort for the team. That’s what we want from each and every player, including myself,” stressed the Singapore national team custodian.
“I’m sure Tanjong Pagar are going to make things difficult for us, but no disrespect to them – it’s our duty to focus on ourselves and how we’re going to play. If we go out there and make sure we play with the right mentality and attitude, I’m confident we’ll get the job done – especially if we take this approach in attack.”
The Sailors’ firepower is not in question. They are the SPL’s joint-top scoring team – alongside Albirex Niigata (S) – with 37 goals from 13 outings. What is perhaps more pertinent is the fact that the goals are spread across the team, with 11 different scorers so far this season.
Shahdan Sulaiman is starting to make a habit of finding the target in recent matches, Maxime Lestienne has contributed good numbers from the wide areas and even Hafiz Nor has chipped in with the odd goal from his full-back position.
“That shows the quality of the team – we don’t only depend on our no. 9 or no. 10. Even our defenders are scoring goals so that’s a good sign for us. But as I’ve said, we cannot be happy with what we have. There is still room for the team to improve even further,” said Hassan.
And he has already spotted various areas with tremendous potential – in particular, the blossoming partnership between Maxime and Diego Lopes in the attacking third.
“It’s so enjoyable to see two players of different qualities and backgrounds come together to play the way they did in such a short span of time. Their understanding on the pitch makes it look like they’ve grown up together and played for more than 10 years together,” said the veteran.
“They fight every day, not in the bad way but more teasing each other about their respective weaknesses and making jokes. That’s actually very important in terms of their bonding and friendship. In this way, they’re pushing each other to become better players on the pitch.
“And I’m confident if both of them – and the rest of us – bring their best, we can get a result against Tanjong Pagar.”
The Lion City Sailors put last week’s 2-1 defeat to Albirex Niigata (S) behind them in emphatic style as they eased past Young Lions 5-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night (29 June) to return to winning ways in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
Goals from Song Ui-young, Shahdan Sulaiman and Hafiz Nor put the defending champions 3-0 up at the break, before Kim Shin-wook and Maxime Lestienne joined in the act in the second half.
Although the Young Lions did pull one back through Glenn Kweh late on, there was no stopping the Sailors from extending their lead at the top of the eight-team SPL standings. The win restored the Sailors’ six-point lead over second-placed Albirex – although the White Swans have a game in hand.
The assured display was one that pleased Head Coach Kim Do-hoon.
“I told the boys before we came out (onto the pitch) that the only way we can shake the last result off – a painful defeat – is to turn it around by winning this match. And that’s exactly what we did tonight.
“I’m happy that we got several goals, but what’s more important was that we brought everything we wanted to – we were in control and playing the football that we want to play.
“I also want to thank the fans who were behind us and out here till even after the final whistle when they could have easily stayed home after the last defeat,” said the 51-year-old.
While Young Lions started off in enterprising fashion, it was the Sailors who settled in well and scored the opening goal after just 11 minutes. Shin-wook’s presence in the box caused the initial chaos in the box following Maxime’s inswinging corner, before Song prodded in from unmissable range to put the defending SPL champions ahead.
Wookie continued to make an impact upfront as he was fouled by Syed Akmal just outside the Young Lions’ box in the 14th minute. Shahdan curled home the resultant free-kick with class to put the champions two goals up.
After wasting a few chances, the Sailors found a third just before half time in fortuitous circumstances. Hafiz lashed into an empty net from 25 yards out after Young Lions goalkeeper Ridhwan Fikri had stayed down after an aerial challenge against Shin-wook.
Wookie finally got the goal he craved for 11 minutes into the second half. He converted from the spot for his 11th of the season to put the Sailors 4-0 up after Saifullah Akbar was brought down by Syahrul Sazali in the area.
The Sailors’ fifth and final goal came via Maxime, whose tireless work in the attacking third paid off as he pounced on Joel Chew’s loose pass in the 66th minute, before proceeding to fire a crisp low shot in between Ridhwan’s legs.
Maxime was then brought off along with Shahdan and Diego Lopes for the final 20 minutes as coach Kim made the decision to rest tired legs. The Young Lions regained some control as the Sailors substitutes settled into the match, and they found a consolation on 78 minutes with Glenn squeezing a grounder past Hassan Sunny to deny the latter his sixth clean sheet of the season.
Letting in that goal was something that dismayed coach Kim and he has demanded improvement in both the attacking and defensive areas in the next match – a tough away clash against Tanjong Pagar United at Jurong East Stadium on Sunday evening (3 July).
“Again we conceded a goal – that’s something that we still need to work on. And while we got the goals, we still need to be more clinical in front of goal,” said the South Korean.
“We need to continuously work in training to become better. Of course we can never be perfect, but we aspire to play football that is as close to perfect as possible.”
Zulqarnaen back and ready to charge ahead
The disappointment was clear after last Friday’s (24 June) narrow 2-1 defeat to Albirex Niigata (S) ended a club-record run of seven consecutive wins and a nine-game unbeaten league streak for the Lion City Sailors.
However, Kim Do-hoon’s men returned to training this week with a stronger resolve and are determined to get back on the winning track as they host bottom side Young Lions in their next Singapore Premier League (SPL) match at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night (29 June).
“It was a fair fight against Albirex, but they took their chances and we didn’t – that’s the difference. Of course it’s frustrating to lose, but there’s plenty of games coming up and we shouldn’t dwell on the defeat,” said defender Zulqarnaen Suzliman.
“Young Lions will provide us with a different type of test, so we have to get our heads right and focus on playing our brand of offensive football to get the three points.”
A victory will see the SPL champions restore their six-point lead at the top, before closest challengers Albirex entertain Tampines Rovers next Monday (4 July).
Returning to the club in the mid-season transfer window, Zulqarnaen is hopeful of getting the nod from Kim to feature after missing both of the club’s fixtures in June. A hamstring tear in his last SPL appearance on April 2 with Young Lions meant he sat out for almost three months, only returning to full training the day following the Albirex defeat.
“It’s tough. I’ve been doing a lot of recovery work to get fit and I’m really eager to play again, but at the same time I’ve to take things slow and not rush as this injury might occur again. Fingers crossed I will get a chance to contribute to the team soon,” said the 24-year-old.
Having represented the Young Lions for six seasons – including 2021 and the first half of 2022 while serving National Service (NS) – Zulqarnaen has gratitude for his former employers but he will be professional once he crosses the white line.
“Young Lions gave me and several other youngsters the opportunity to play regular first-team football and helped us gain the experience that we need. I’m really thankful for all the support they’ve given me throughout my time there.
“After the game is the chance to chat and catch up with the staff and my friends there. But during the game I will give my 100 percent focus and commitment to help the Sailors get the result,” he declared.
Much has changed at the club since Zulqarnaen last pulled on a Sailors jersey – he played the first two matches of the Sailors’ inaugural season in 2020 before enlisting for NS in June of the same year.
Expectations have rocketed sky-high ever since winning the 2021 SPL title, and Zulqarnaen knows any shortfall in standards or attitude will not be accepted by the demanding Kim.
“I only trained a few weeks under him, but I already know how much he demands from the team – he’s not satisfied even after we’ve won a game. Coach Kim focuses a lot on fitness work and that’s important for us to overpower our opponents.
“The team is clearly much better than the one I played with in 2020 with players like Hariss Harun, Maxime Lestienne and Kim Shin-wook. We’re gelling well together and there’s certainly more to come from this team,” he said.
Having completed his NS obligations recently, Zulqarnaen is most looking forward to resuming football full-time and be part of a successful Sailors side, despite acknowledging that he has an uphill task battling for a spot in the starting eleven.
“I’ll usually be in camp from 8am to 5pm, then I’ll head down to training and that cycle repeats every day. It’s quite tiring, so I’m happy I can now fully focus on my football career,” he said.
“It felt great to have everyone in the team welcoming me back. (Sailors’ Head of Physiotherapy) Kak-Fizah (Nurhafizah Abu Sujad) and performance coach, Shay (Shazaly Ayob), have helped me a lot to get back fit.
“I don’t just want to play for the Sailors, I want to excel – I want to win the SPL, Singapore Cup and help the team qualify for the ACL (Asian Football Confederation Champions League) again next season.”
