Category: News
A new-look Lion City Sailors kicked off their 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season with three points and a bagful of positives, overcoming a sprightly Tanjong Pagar United 3-1 on Friday (24 February) night.
Back in the familiar comforts of Bishan Stadium after a two-year absence, the Sailors scored through Hafiz Nor and new signing Kodai Tanaka – who netted a brace in his debut for the club – all via a hat-trick of assists from Maxime Lestienne’s magical left foot. Sailors’ Head Coach Risto Vidaković topped off the evening by presenting top-tier debuts to two fledgling apprentices from the club’s Academy: 16-year-olds Jonan Tan and Idzham Eszuan Shah.
But this was hardly a walk in the park for Sailors.
The comfortable scoreline belied the amount of hard work and effort the Sailors needed to prevent Tanjong Pagar from getting anything out of the game, with Hasrin Jailani’s side giving the home team as good as they got over the 100-odd minutes of football.
Indeed, while the Sailors were dominant in the first-half, the visitors were arguably the better team after the break, and could have gone on to earn themselves at least a point, but for a combination of heroic defending and wayward finishing.
Risto, however, was not unduly worried about the drop-off in intensity in the Sailors’ second-half. The Serbian explained: “There are many new components in the team, so to put them together is not easy. We need a bit more time to get what we want from the team.
“There are those who are still coming back from injury, or joined us late for pre-season, and they aren’t 100% yet, and we also have many young players. So overall, I’m very happy today because we still managed to get a result, and that’s the most important.”
While the Sailors Class of 2023 started the game with four new signings in Zharfan Rohaizad, Lionel Tan, Christopher van Huizen and Kodai, it was a familiar combination from last year that was responsible for the 11th-minute opening goal.
Diego Lopes and Maxime Lestienne combined well down the left to set the latter free, who sent in a peach of a cross into the box for the onrushing Hafiz to lash home a clinical strike from close range.
Tanjong Pagar had a golden opportunity in the 65th minute to draw level when they were awarded a penalty, but midfielder Mirko Šugić sent the resulting spot-kick wide.
That miss was subsequently punished by Kodai in the 89th minute, with the Sailors springing a devastating counter-attack that ended with the Japanese striker sliding home yet another Maxime cross for his first competitive goal in Sailors colours – making it 2-0 to the home side.
The Jaguars did eventually reduce the deficit in the second minute of added time through Shahrin Saberin’s header, but the Sailors restored their two-goal advantage just two minutes later, with Maxime once again laying the ball on a plate for Kodai to score again and seal an opening victory.
The brace was no less than what Kodai deserved for the solid shift he put in up front. This was underlined by Risto’s post-game revelation: the 23-year-old was one of those who was still far from achieving his optimum levels.
“Kodai was playing at only about 50% of his ability,“ said Risto. “He had just trained for about two weeks with the team after returning from injury, and he will need more time to get to his best. But we didn’t have a lot of options so I let him play today.
“Strikers need goals to get confidence, and fortunately for us, he scored two today, and that’s a great start for him.”
Unsurprisingly, Kodai credited Maxime for his critical role in the win, saying: “Today they were easy goals and I have to thank Maxime for the assists. I only joined training sessions two weeks ago and I am not feeling totally fine yet. Perhaps in a week or so, I will be at 100%.
Perhaps the cherry on top of the season-opening win for the 1,300 fans at Bishan, was witnessing history being made as the Sailors threw on Jonan and Idzham in the second half.
At just 16 years and 10 days old, defender Idzham became the third-youngest debutant in Singapore league history – behind the Young Lions duo of Khairin Nadim and Raoul Suhaimi.
Jonan is just a tad older, at 16 years, 7 months and 28 days. And the pair are the youngest to ever pull on the Sailors’ white and blue in the SPL.
While the Sailors are not averse to giving opportunities to talented teenagers – Glenn Ong (17 years, 8 months and 29 days) and Aniq Raushan (17 years, 5 months and 18 days) made their SPL debuts in 2021 – both Idzham and Jonan are the first Scholars from the Sailors’ Elite Development Programme launched in 2020 to come through the system.
“These young players trained very well during the pre-season with the first team, so I thought they deserved to get some minutes and feel important,” said Risto, explaining his decision to hand these two academy players their SPL debuts.
“It’s good for them to feel how it’s like playing at the top level, as it will help them grow as players.”
He stood, eyes transfixed on the flurry of activity in front of him. It was Thursday, 23 February and the Lion City Sailors were just 24 hours away from their 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season opener against Tanjong Pagar United at the Bishan Stadium.
Head Coach Risto Vidaković watched as his charges went through the paces at the Lion City Sailors Training Centre, but his almost stoic stillness was starkly contrasted with the palpable excitement at Mattar Road.
With the team gradually adapting to his philosophy of possession-based attacking football and showing promising signs in friendly matches since he took charge in early January, the 54-year-old Serbian is optimistic that his Sailors will put up a good show to set the tone for the season ahead.
“The team is growing each time we come together and there’s a lot of positivity amongst the boys – it’s like a family and everyone is enjoying their time with one another. We’re aware the true test comes when the season gets underway, but I’ve seen enough from them that I know they’re going to fight for everything on the pitch to get our first three points of the year,” he said, with conviction.
With Tanjong Pagar retaining the bulk of a squad that punched above their weight to finish sixth last season, Risto acknowledged this could be a tricky opening match, but backed his players to show grit and gumption to come through.
“I think everyone here knows that, especially those who were at the club for the past few seasons – every team is going to play very hard against us and give more than 100 percent because they’re motivated to beat us. I believe our players are experienced enough to know what to do and how to cope with this,” said Risto.
He is acutely aware of the importance of getting his reign off to a good start, but he has his eyes fixed on the long game for the big prize: the league title.
“The first game is always important – not just because of the three points, but also it gives you confidence for future games and the season. But the league is a long-term journey – you cannot win the league after a few games for sure.
“We need to turn it on throughout the year and keep at what we’ve been building on – to play an attractive style of football. And we have to carefully manage individual players’ condition so that we’re well prepared for all three rounds,” said the former Ceres-Negros tactician.
In Hariss Harun, Risto has an ideal leader with the ability to take command of a dressing room which is now brimming with young talent, and the experience to pull through difficult periods that every team will inevitably encounter.
The skipper is at the heart of the Risto revolution and is keen to lead the Sailors Class of 2023 into a new era for the club.
“Obviously this pre-season is starkly different from the past few, because of the new players and a new coach. Amongst the new players, there are several with plenty of potential and I’m excited to see how they improve and help the club in the next few years. This is a great opportunity for them to write a new story with this club.
“Along with players like Hafiz (Nor), Maxime (Lestienne) and Diego (Lopes), there are experienced heads in the dressing room to help me manage these boys and I’m truly excited to be in a position to help them grow here,” said the 32-year-old.
Despite the changes, Hariss acknowledged the fact Sailors are still expected to be amongst the frontrunners for the title and are relishing the opportunity to ‘right the wrongs’ of last season.
“It is at the lowest when you learn the most. The way we ended last season was poor and the fans deserve to see a better showing from the team for this year – they deserved so much more for the support that they have given us.
“It will be a tougher fight for the title this season, but it is a challenge that keeps us on our toes and will spur us on. Together our team will continue to strive and show the way forward in Singapore football on and off the pitch because that is what we stand for,” said the Singapore national team captain.
For now, Hariss just cannot wait to get onto the Bishan pitch to usher in the new season.
“We’re delighted to be back at our rightful home in Bishan. We just cannot wait to play some entertaining football and get the three points for our fans on Friday night,” he said.
Hariss Harun and the Lion City Sailors may be sporting a fresh new look alongside a rejuvenated squad with an influx of young players. But make no mistake, the Sailors Class of 2023 are poised to charge into the new season with the same old desire to succeed – perhaps even more boldly so.
With an sharp injection of the fearless vigour of youth, and driven by the Singapore Premier League trophy-shaped hole left last year, the Sailors will draw on inspiration provided by their 2022 experience.
“We remember the feeling very clearly, and there’s little doubt in our heads that we are capable of so much more. It’s been a fantastic pre-season with the spirit that the new players bring to the dressing room, and we’ve been able to blend this buzzy vibe with the lessons we carry with us from last season,” said the Sailors’ skipper.
“I’m personally feeling very positive about what we can achieve for our fans this year.”
The Sailors are about more than just the 11 on the pitch, more than just the 12th man, and indeed, representative of the community the club lives and works in – and its aspirations – that was the spirit with which the club was conceived.
“Walking across the Esplanade Bridge and taking in the experience of being surrounded by these buildings that represent the scale of what Singapore has achieved in such a short time was truly inspiring – especially when you think about the similarities to what the Sailors are aspiring to,” said Sailors’ Women’s defender, Umairah Hamdan.
“When we step out onto the pitch this year, we will be wearing more than just the club crest on our shirts, we will carry the shapes that represent our fans, our community, and the extended Sailors’ family.
“If it wasn’t clear before, it’s now very obvious – and I imagine that all of us will knowingly carry that inspiration with us every time we pull on the shirt,” she added.
While the Sailors women will drive to match a 2022 they finished as Invincibles in a memorable debut Deloitte Women’s Premier League campaign, their male counterparts are gunning to reclaim the SPL title and a return to the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Group Stages for a second shot at battling against the best on the continent.
And Christopher van Huizen is optimistic of what the future holds.
“We’ve worked our socks off in pre-season, and we’re ready,” said the 30-year-old, who joined the Sailors from Tampines Rovers in the off-season.
“We’ve taken lessons on board, we’re inspired and we’re ready to turn 2023 White, Blue and Bold.”
New season, new threads.
The Lion City Sailors will be decked in a bold blue kit designed by PUMA when they go on the road this season.
With intricate trapeziums, triangles and chevrons set against a vivid blue sky, the design elements on the front of the 2023 Lion City Sailors Away Jersey represent the shapes of us – of our team, our fans, our community – that shape the future of our club.
“This was a new experience for me, modelling a jersey – and that in the middle of town as well, but it was really quite funny when we started being uncomfortable, before settling into a groove,” said Abdul Rasaq Akeem, who modelled the kit alongside fellow new recruit Christopher van Huizen as well as WPL counterparts the likes of Beatrice Tan and Umairah Hamdan.
“The final product was slick, with our club kit and colours against the Singapore skyline: our shapes set against the shapes of our country – that was very cool.”
The shoot took place in downtown Singapore, around the Esplanade Bridge and Helix Bridge with the Sailors soaking in the feeling of being surrounded by the shapes – our distinct skyline – that are deeply intertwined with the success of our country.
The 2023 Lion City Sailors Away Jersey will go on sale soon!
Stay tuned to our social media platforms for more information.
Ladies and gentlemen of The Crew,
We’re absolutely delighted that you’ve put your name down to come on board for the Sailors’ 2023 adventure, and we can’t wait for you to get involved in the exciting activities we’ve got in the pipeline!
You would have received your Membership Number in your inbox and an email with the link to apply for the Season Pass – applications will close on Tues, 14 Feb at 6pm, or when passes are no longer available.
Only members of The Crew can apply for the Season Pass, so if you haven’t already done so – click here to join The Crew!
Membership to The Crew opens doors to everything you’ll need for a front row seat to back your Sailors in the 2023 Season.
From discounted Home match tickets to attractive deals at partner establishments, vouchers for the Lion City Sailors Football Club Official Store on Shopee and exclusive invites to unique experiences that will bring you closer to the players and club that you love.
Come onboard The Crew for just $48 (incl GST) and make bold new memories on your journey with the Sailors!
Memberships come with these exciting benefits:
- A Crew Pack comprising a Membership Card to The Crew, Scarf, Stickers and a Sailors Lanyard
- 20% off all HOME match tickets (subject to availability on a first-come-first-served basis)
- 5 x Shopee vouchers for use on the Official Lion City Sailors Shopee store
- Eligibility to apply to purchase a 2023 Season Pass (subject to availability on a first-come-first-served basis)
The Lion City Sailors are back and raring to get going in the 2023 domestic football campaign.
The Sailors’ First Team and Women’s Team are gunning for top honours in the upcoming season, and on their hunt for trophies, they will be decked in the bold white Sailors Home Kit designed by PUMA.
With a swathe of warm grey triangles and rectangles on a sea of white, the design elements of the Home jersey represents the shapes of us – of our team, our fans, and our community – that shape the future of the club.
The Sailors men will battle for the Singapore Premier League crown they last won in 2021, while the women are looking to build on a memorable title-winning campaign in 2022, going through the entire Deloitte Women’s Premier League season unbeaten in what was the WPL debut of the Sailors’ Women’s Team.
Sailors’ Women’s Team Captain Ernie Sontaril is confident the style and comfort of the kit sets her team up for further success in 2023.
“I simply love the trendy retro style of the jersey with the V-neck collar,” she said.
“The material feels light and the fabric is of excellent quality in the sense that it’s extremely cooling. The jersey won’t stick to our bodies even if we sweat a lot and we will be much more comfortable when we’re battling out on the pitch,” added the 33-year-old, who modelled the kit alongside teammate Nur Izzati Rosni and her male counterparts the likes of Hariss Harun and Maxime Lestienne.
“The unique retro design and cooling fabric is perfect for those who wear jerseys as a fashion statement and very suitable for our humid climate – I’m sure our fans will be very comfortable wearing this in stadiums.”
The 2023 Lion City Sailors Home Jersey will go on sale soon!
Stay tuned to our social media platforms for more information.
He made his mark with 24 goals in 35 appearances in a Lion City Sailors shirt in 2022, and now Kim Shin-wook is off to write the next chapter of his football career.
Shin-wook reached a mutual agreement to part ways with the Sailors, and will depart the club with good memories of the club and of Singapore football.
With more than 100 goals in K League 1 and two Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League titles – with Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors – the 1.98m Shin-wook was the fourth-highest scorer in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) last season with 21 goals – including four hat-tricks.
“Wookie” memorably struck a stunning acrobatic volley on his Sailors debut in a 2-1 win over Albirex Niigata (S) in the 2022 AIA Community Shield, inspiring the Sailors to its first Community Shield win in its history.
Having played for some of Asia’s biggest teams, the 34-year-old was grateful for the opportunity to play for the ambitious Sailors and will look back with fond memories, especially of the strong backing he received from the Sailors’ fervent fans.
The Crew had dedicated a song – sung to the tune of all-time classic Que Sera Sera – to him, and there was a special moment in last August’s 9-4 win over Hougang United when Shin-wook obliged the fans with his trademark celebration on the sidelines after being subbed off following one of his four 2022 hat-tricks.
“I’m grateful to all of you for your fantastic support in the stadiums, and to my teammates, and staff at the club for all their help during my time with the Sailors.
“It has been an honour to play for all of you this past year as a Sailor. I feel it is the right time for me to explore new opportunities to continue challenging myself,” he elaborated.
The former South Korean international was keen to reiterate that the Sailors will have one more supporter as it embarks on the 2023 season.
“I have enjoyed my time as a Sailor and I wish the team nothing but the best in the season ahead,” said Shin-wook.
“I will be continuing to support Sailors as always.”
Hariss Harun lauded the positive effect Shin-wook had on the Sailors across the 2022 season.
“He was a consummate professional, a good presence in the dressing room, and a fighter out on the pitch,” said the Sailors and Singapore captain.
“We wish him the best in the next chapter of his career, and we’ll be following him closely too.”
Gamsahamnida and all the best, Wookie!
Mark your calendars.
After two seasons away, the Lion City Sailors finally return to their Bishan Stadium home in 2023, and will kickstart the Singapore Premier League (SPL) campaign hosting Tanjong Pagar United on Friday, 24 February.
Risto Vidaković’s men will look to bank on home comforts for what is a fast and furious start to the season, with four out of their opening five fixtures to be played at the venue.
The fixture list for the 2023 SPL season was officially announced by the Football Association of Singapore on Friday evening (27 January).
The Sailors won four times and drew twice at Bishan in their inaugural SPL season in 2020, before upgrading works meant taking up temporary residence at Jalan Besar Stadium in the following two years.
Fans can also look forward to Sailors’ first visit to Brunei in Round 2 when they play Brunei DPMM at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium at Bandar Seri Begawan on Saturday, 13 May.
Shortened from four rounds in 2022 to three, the 2023 SPL season will conclude on Sunday, 27 August with the Sailors facing Geylang International in their last league fixture of the year.
The Sailors’ full SPL fixtures list for the new season can be accessed here.
Under the watchful eyes of new Head Coach Risto Vidaković, the Lion City Sailors have been hard at work for the past month as they look to gear up for the upcoming 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season which is expected to kick off in late February.
The six players which were involved in Singapore’s recent AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup campaign have returned to training with the puzzle slowly coming together for Risto, who wants to set his team out to entertain with possession-based attacking football.
Captain Hariss Harun, Hafiz Nor, M. Anumanthan and Hami Syahin are joined by new signings Shawal Anuar and Christopher van Huizen as the Sailors’ Lions representatives returned to the fold this week to ramp up preparations for an important campaign ahead.
The latter duo is part of the group of eight new arrivals – the other six are below the age of 26 – in a refreshing 2023 roster for the Sailors, which sports a much youthful outlook – one that is hungry and determined to charge ahead to usher in a new era of success for the club.
Zharfan Rohaizad – who made the highest numbers of saves across the SPL last season for Tanjong Pagar United – adds depth to the Sailors goalkeeping department. He will compete with Rudy Khairullah and Adib Azahari for a starting spot, while Izwan Mahbud continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
One of the country’s top defensive talents, Lionel Tan, provides defensive steel and stability to the Sailors, alongside the likes of Hariss, Pedro Henrique and Bill Mamadou.
The signing of Rusyaidi Salime gives the Sailors some much-needed bite in midfield beside Hami, Adam Swandi, and the versatile Anu.
Chris and Danish Qayyum joining the club means there are now options aplenty on the Sailors flanks, with Nur Adam Abdullah, Haiqal Pashia, Arshad Shamim and Zulqarnaen Suzliman all also champing at the bit to be starters for the team.
The Sailors look set to pose a serious threat to opposition defences with the presence of Kodai Tanaka, Shawal and rising talent Abdul Rasaq Akeem – more so with the effervescent Diego Lopes and last season’s top assist-provider Maxime Lestienne now more familiar with local football.
With a matter of weeks to the start of the new season, training intensity is steadily increasing but the Sailors class of 2023 is undaunted and has already begun to get to grips with the demands of Risto’s philosophy.
“Coach Risto wants us to play attacking football and keep the ball more often, that’s something which we’re working on and I’ve to say the progress has been good so far. Everyone has been very welcoming and we have already started to build good bonds within the squad,” said Rasaq.
“We have to keep going and continue to improve our chemistry so that we can be successful in the season ahead.”
Fellow new recruit Lionel, who is enjoying the start of his life with the Sailors, sang from the same hymn book.
“It’s been an eye-opener for me. Over here, we have a very structured program on how we’re building up to the season. Coach Risto is very direct and detailed on how we’re supposed to train and play – he has made it very clear what he wants the team to do,” said the former Singapore Under-23 international.
“The mood in the camp is really good, training has been fun and we’re all enjoying ourselves. This should always be what football is all about – we want to train hard, while having fun and looking forward to coming into work every single day.”
Nur Adam is already feeling the zest Lionel and the new boys bring to the dressing room, and the 21-year-old has no doubt that the positive vibe will provide an ideal platform for the team to launch a campaign to reclaim the SPL title in 2023.
“With new players coming in, it usually takes quite a while at the start of the season to come together as a unit but even at this point we’ve really bonded well. There are no egos and everyone is training hard and working towards the same end goal – to entertain the fans and deliver success for the club,” he said.
“The atmosphere is great and we’re adapting well to what Coach Risto has envisioned for us. It’s important we keep working on our fitness levels and improve our touches even more to be prepared for the season ahead.”
There will be an infusion of youth in the Sailors first team this year, with several talented boys from the Sailors’ Under-21 squad joining pre-season training and gunning for SPL debuts this season, if they continue to grow.
Despite his relative youth, Nur Adam is already into his third year at the club and relishing the added responsibility of being a leader. He has taken it upon himself to help those even younger than himself assimilate.
“I’m someone who likes to guide younger players, motivate them, and help them reach their maximum potential,” explained the 2021 SPL Young Player of the Year.
“I know there are high expectations for players here because we’re expected to win every match, but at the same time it’s important for youngsters to come through for the long-term future of the club. I see a lot of potential in our players here and we are definitely going on the right path.”
