Category: News
Thank you, Stipe
He joined the Lion City Sailors in 2020 with the lofty aim of winning trophies and achieving success with the club.
Today, with a top scorer award, a Singapore Premier League (SPL) winners medal, and the adoration of the Sailors fans in tow, there is no doubt that Stipe Plazibat has accomplished his goals at the club.
But sadly, Stipe’s voyage with the Sailors is set to come to an end.
The Croatian will officially leave the Sailors when his contract ends in December, with the club deciding to go in a different direction ahead of the 2022 season.
Rightly regarded as one of the best strikers in the SPL at the moment, Stipe will be leaving the Sailors as the club’s reigning top scorer with 23 goals across two seasons.
But the 32-year-old is more than just a prolific goalscorer. His work ethic, consummate professionalism, intelligence on and off the ball, and eye for a pass – he recorded seven assists in the SPL this season alone – has made him a favourite both in the dressing room, as well as among the Sailors fans.
Reflecting on his two years at the club, Stipe, who played an integral role in the Sailors’ historic SPL title win this year, said: “I am proud to have been part of this new and ambitious club, and that I was able to play a vital role in achieving our first league title.
“My target was winning trophies with the club, and we managed to do it this year. Winning the SPL title has undoubtedly been the highlight of my time at the Sailors.
“On an individual level, I won the golden boot last year, I was in the SPL Team of the Year for the past two seasons, and I believe that I have become more mature, both on and off the pitch.
“So yes, I have definitely achieved the goals that I set for myself when I first joined the club.”
Stipe’s contributions to the Sailors extends beyond the pitch, with the Split native having taken the time to mentor several of the club’s promising young talents.
“I’m happy to have played a role in helping some of the club’s young players like Saifullah Akbar and Nur Adam in their development,” Stipe revealed. “To see them win the SPL Young Player of the Year awards (in 2020 and 2021 respectively) makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something more meaningful than just on-pitch success.
“I may be leaving the club, but I’m confident that, with the SPL title and the guidance I’ve provided for the young players, I’ve left a good legacy behind.”
And while Stipe might have only been a Sailor for two years, he has formed strong bonds with several of his teammates and staff, as he said: “I will miss my close friends at the club, like Song (Ui-Young), Hariss (Harun), Gabriel (Quak), and Mario (Jovanovic). The friendship that we have is not something you can find every day, so I really treasure it.”
Song, who hailed Stipe’s impact on the Sailors, backed his close friend to continue performing at the highest level at his next club.
“He (Stipe) has consistently been among the top scorers in Singapore for many seasons now,” said Song. “He has always displayed his professionalism, passion for the team, and he was a big part of our title win this year.
“I believe that he will continue his good form and performances for many more years, and I wish my brate (Croatian slang for ‘brother’) all the very best.”
Gabriel admitted that he would miss having Stipe around at the club, especially as the duo had developed an almost telepathic connection.
“Over the past two years, we’ve formed a good partnership, not only on the pitch, but off it as well,” said Gabriel. “We became really good friends, and I think that translated into our good chemistry when we played…you can see that for many of our goals, we provided assists for each other.
“I definitely enjoyed playing with him, and I’m proud to call him my partner on the pitch. He’s played such a crucial role for us, being our top scorer, and it’ll be sad to see him leave.
“I wish him all the best for the future, and would also like to congratulate him on the recent birth of his child. And even though he’s leaving the club, we will definitely still keep in touch with each other.”
Apart from being a well-liked and respected member of the squad, Stipe was also a popular figure among the Sailors fans.
Expressing his deepest appreciation to ‘The Crew’ for supporting him unconditionally during his time at the club, Stipe said: “I would like to thank all the fans for their amazing support. I am happy that we were able to give them a reason to celebrate, and to believe in Singapore football again. I wish them and the Sailors all the best.”
For now, Stipe remains unsure as to what the future holds for his career. While admitting that a move abroad would be the most likely outcome, he is not ruling out the possibility of staying in Singapore and playing for another SPL club.
“My next move depends on what opportunities I receive, and most probably that will come from abroad,” Stipe mused. “But never say never – I may still stay in Singapore yet. For now, though, I am just enjoying my time at home with my wife, our new-born baby, and my family.”
No matter what happens next, however, Stipe will remain an indelible part of Sailors’ history.
From everyone at the Lion City Sailors, thank you, Stipe Plazibat. All the best, and bon voyage!
The Singapore Premier League’s (SPL) Young Player of the Year for 2021, Nur Adam Abdullah has been included in Nazri Nasir’s final Singapore Under-22 squad for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup 2022 Qualifiers.
Saifullah Akbar, the 2020 SPL Young Player of the year, and the only other Lion City Sailor who was part of the 28-man provisional squad also made the shortened list of 23 players.
The qualifiers will be hosted in Singapore from 25-31 October.
The U22 side will kick off their Group H campaign against Timor-Leste on 25 Oct, and will face Philippines and South Korea over the following six days, charged with the task of qualifying for the finals of U23 Asian Cup for the first time in Singapore history.
In line with the prevailing COVID-19 safe management measures, a maximum of 1,000 spectators will be allowed in the stadium for each match. Tickets are available from www.fas.org.sg/tickets.
A total of 11 groups from both the West and East Zone will contest the Qualifiers, with the group winners and four best second-placed teams set to advance to the final stage. The AFC U23 Asian Cup 2022, the fifth edition of the tournament, will be held in Uzbekistan in June next year.
Nur Adam Abdullah made the left-back spot at the Lion City Sailors his own in 2021. His swashbuckling style has seen him consistently bomb up and down the flank, a familiar sight as the Sailors stormed to their first Singapore Premier League (SPL) title.
The win was Nur Adam’s first professional trophy after a stellar season, and the 20-year-old ends the year with the top award for players aged under 23: He was named the AIA Young Player of the Year at the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) Awards Night earlier today (12 October).
Nur Adam pipped teammate Saifullah Akbar – 2020’s YPOTY – and Albirex Niigata’s Ryoya Taniguchi, the White Swans’ leading assist provider this season to the award. This after putting in strong performances that also saw him named the league’s young player of the month in September.
September was a particularly good month for the Sailors, with Head Coach Kim Do-hoon winning the coach of the month award, and Brazilian defender Jorge Fellipe named as September’s player of the month.
Jorge was one of four Sailors –Nur Adam, Shahdan Sulaiman and Stipe Plazibat – named in the AIA SPL Team of the Year.
Jorge and Stipe were nominated for the AIA Player of the Year Award, but the accolade was won by Hougang United forward Tomoyuki Doi who was also the league’s top scorer with 19 goals.
Gabriel Quak, 2020’s POTY and 2021’s top local goalscorer, added yet another personal accolade to his trophy cabinet. The 30-year-old’s sensational left-foot volley in the Sailors’ 4-1 win over Balestier Khalsa in April was named the SELECT Goal of the Year.
The Sailors salute our award winners!
The confetti had long been swept off Jalan Besar Stadium’s plastic green arena, and those 1,000 jubilant fans had already gone to bed and woken up as part of the crew that willed on the first Singapore club to win the Singapore Premier League (SPL) since 2014.
The floodlights at the stadium have yet to be turned on since, but the electricity that sparked the night sky above Jalan Besar for 90 odd minutes on 10 October will crackle on in the hearts of all who were present at the most spectacular of season finales in recent history – the night the Lion City Sailors became SPL champions for the first time.
For those out on the pitch, the memory of the wild 90 mins on 10 Oct has been seared into memory, along with the moment gold and blue confetti floated down from the sky.
“It’s an absolutely unbelievable feeling to finally be an SPL champion,” said Gabriel Quak, who was a key figure in the Sailors’ 4-1 win over Balestier Khalsa that secured the title. Gabriel’s two goals – along with a goal apiece from Song Ui-young and Diego Lopes – fuelled the Sailors’ hard-fought victory on the night.
But the scoreboard belied the roller-coaster of emotions on a night closest rivals Albirex Niigata (S) stormed to a 4-1 half-time lead against Tanjong Pagar United in a concurrent match – and threatened to overcome the goal difference deficit to steal the SPL title.
Albirex were eventually stunned by a Jaguars side that came back from a three-goal half-time deficit to salvage a 4-4 draw, a result that saw the Sailors win the league by a two-point margin.
But the Sailors were forced to navigate stormy waters, with Hariss Harun forced off by injury, playmaker Shahdan Sulaiman deputising at centre-back, and nerve-wracking moments after Balestier found a goal – through Aidil Johari – that levelled the match at 1-1.
“I had only filled in at centre-back once before and that was when I was in Malaysia with Melaka United (in 2018), and I was a bit surprised when Coach Kim asked me to play there, but I knew I had to just step in and try to do a job for the team,” recalled Shahdan.
“We were somehow quite shaken by Hariss’s injury and it looked like there was a lack of ideas from us,” admitted Gabriel, of the 10-minute period when his team looked shaky – as a previously rocking Jalan Besar falling eerily silent – and could well have conceded another goal.
But the Sailors dug deep to find steel and regained the lead just before the break. In what he described as his “most important goal of the season”, Gabriel showed great desire to win an aerial challenge with Balestier goalkeeper Zacharial Leong before hooking into an empty net.
“That goal set the tone for the second half,” added Gabriel, for whom this is a first domestic league title.
Sunday’s 90 minutes was perhaps a distilled reflection of the Sailors’ topsy-turvy season that saw three head coaches – Aurelio Vidmar, Robin Chitrakar (interim) and Kim Do-hoon – a few failed attempts to take control of the title race, injury issues and even a surge of support from Singapore football fans that was accompanied by a momentary dip in confidence.
“To win a title takes a lot of hard work as a team. We went through several ups and downs to finally end the season on top – that makes this triumph taste particularly sweet,” said a philosophical Shahdan.
Shahdan, is one of only three players – along with club captain Hassan Sunny (Warriors, 2014) and Adam Swandi (Albirex, 2018) – who have experienced an SPL triumph. The 33-year-old last won the league with Tampines Rovers in 2013, but the exhilaration, even as a seasoned veteran, remains otherworldly.
“Back then with Tampines, I was still quite young, in a team of experienced players like Aleksandar Duric and Farra (Fahrudin Mustafic),” said Shahdan. “Now I’m one of the leaders in my team who needs to guide the younger ones. That’s perhaps the only difference. The joy of winning a title remains the same – absolutely amazing.”
The expectation of a league victory – and that absolutely amazing feeling – was perhaps what drew fans to Jalan Besar on Sunday.
Queues for match tickets began to form by 12pm, some three hours before sales commenced. With only 1,000 spectators allowed under current COVID-19 regulations, those who could not get tickets even perched themselves atop of the multi-storey car park facing the venue in order to catch a glimpse of the action.
Fans played their part in the win, going beyond just lending their voice to the Sailors, to even chanting “Tanjong Pagar” to signal to the men on the pitch that the Jaguars were doing well against Albirex at the Jurong East Stadium.
And the stands erupted at the final whistle that signaled the club’s historic first SPL title.
As the Sailors held the 15kg, 67.5cm trophy aloft before proceeding to celebrate on the pitch with their loved ones, it was clear that triumph went beyond just football.
For Shahdan, this was the first time he would celebrate an SPL title win with his two sons. His eldest, Shaqeel Ilhan, was just a newborn when Shahdan last lifted the trophy some eight years ago.
“It was such a special feeling to have Shaqeel and my younger son (five-year-old Shaheen) present as we won a trophy – they were just so excited to hold it in their hands,” said the midfielder, who missed only one match throughout the season, through suspension.
Similarly for Gabriel, having his six-year-old daughter Gladys and two-year-old son Garrett present on such a momentous occasion made everything sweeter.
“My daughter is at an age where she can understand many things, so it’s nice for her to witness this – it’s a moment money can’t buy,” said the national team forward, whose 13-goal tally saw him finish as the top local goalscorer for the second consecutive season.
“I’m just glad to be able to score for them. Celebrating with them on the pitch, it felt like all the sacrifices I made for my career paid off.”
While soaking in the historic moment with teammates, family and fans, the Sailors saved something special for the man who made all this possible – club Chairman Forrest Li.
The Sailors chanted “Forrest!” on the pitch as they bounced up and down and shot their hands up into the Jalan Besar sky – with a fervour matching the chants of those in the stands.
“He’s out of town at the moment, but I think if anyone deserved the loudest cheer, it has to be Forrest,” said Gabriel. “We can only do so much, but ultimately the foundation of our success was put in place by his inspired vision and commitment to excellence.
“Massive respect for the trust he has put in the team and the club, he believed in us from Day One. We look forward to having him back in Singapore so we can celebrate together.”
The dust is only just beginning to settle on the historic SPL title, but Sailors’ eyes are already looking to the horizon. The club Chairman’s vision of establishing the club as a regional powerhouse kicks into gear next year, with the Sailors’ first involvement in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League campaign.
“First we have to establish ourselves locally – we have to make sure this title is not a one-off. We have to win the league year in year out,” said Gabriel. “Only then can we talk about the continental stage – and we’re clear that we have to keep working hard if we want to match up with Asia’s best.”
#LCSFCBiggestFan: Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions – #LCSFCBiggestFan
- Introduction
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- These terms and conditions, and any other documents and policies incorporated by reference, (“Terms”) shall apply to the #LCSFCBiggestFan competition (the “Competition”) organized 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 [∙] to [∙] (“Competition Period”).
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- Competition Mechanics
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- To participate in the Competition, you must use your personal Instagram account to post on your own Instagram page, and must ensure that each entry is public and contains the hashtag #LCSFCBiggestFan during the Competition Period. Entries of Instagram posts to the Competition are limited to one per participant / person.
- Winning entries will be chosen by the Lion City Sailors marketing department and will be judged on creativity (in its sole discretion).
- The prize for the Competition (“Prize”) is one trip for two to Buriram, Thailand to watch the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Group F fixture between the Lion City Sailors and Daegu FC scheduled for 30 April 2022 (the “ACL Fixture”). The Prize shall include return economy class flights to Bangkok, one night’s accommodation in Bangkok, Thailand (twin-sharing), transportation to Buriram, two nights’ accommodation (twin-sharing) in Buriram and two match tickets to the ACL Fixture (with details such as airlines and hotels to be determined by Lion City Sailors and communicated to the winner).
- The Winner of the Prize will be contacted through social media direct messaging by Lion City Sailors. In the event that Lion City Sailors is unable to contact the winner after three (3) attempts a replacement 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 Thailand 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 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, travel insurance, etc).
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- Conditions
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- By participating in the Competition, you represent, warrant and undertake that:
- you are at least eighteen (18) years old and are ordinarily resident in Singapore;
- 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 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”), and 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; and
- you may be required to provide and/or sign additional documents and forms prior to 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).
- By participating in the Competition, you represent, warrant and undertake that:
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- Changes to / cancellation of Competition
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- Lion City Sailors reserve the right to (in its sole discretion): (a) amend or vary any term 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 ACL Fixture); and (b) suspend or disqualify your participation in the Competition at any time, including, but not limited to, where you breach any of the provisions of these Terms or the Policies or where your participation in the Competition is deemed by Lion City Sailors to be inappropriate, unsuitable or detrimental to Lion City Sailors.
- 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 his/her name, image, voice and/or likeness 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 do 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 make note of any 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.
Twelve Sailors receive Lions’ call
The Lion City Sailors are well-represented in Tatsuma Yoshida’s 27-man provisional Singapore squad for December’s Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2020 that was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Photo credit: Football Association of Singapore)
From Lions’ captain Hariss Harun to Tajeli Salamat, the Sailors will see 12 players who are in line to fly the Singapore flag as the Lions prepare for their 13th campaign in Southeast Asia.
Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Adam Swandi, Saifullah Akbar, Shahdan Sulaiman, Song Ui-young, Faris Ramli, Gabriel Quak and Hafiz Nor, are the other Sailors competing to make the final squad that will represent the Republic at the tourney that will be hosted on Singapore shores between 5 December 2021 and 1 January 2022.
The squad will commence centralised training from 25 October, two weeks after the Singapore Premier League season ends. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is exploring opportunities for friendly matches and a training camp with details to be announced at a later date.
Up to 30 players can be registered for the final tournament squad, which will be confirmed at the end November.
Nur Adam and Saifullah – two of the three players nominated for the AIA Singapore Premier League Young Player of the Year award – are also included in Nazri Nasir’s provisional Singapore Under-22 squad that is charged to qualify for the finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup 2022 for first time in Singapore history.
The qualifiers for that tournament will be hosted in the Lion City later this month, from 25-31 October.
Singapore has won four titles in the 12 editions of the AFF Suzuki Cup, just one behind Thailand who are the most successful side in the region. Vietnam, widely regarded as Southeast Asia’s dominant side of recent times, has two racked up two wins, with the Lions’ Causeway rivals, Malaysia, winning once in 2010.
Sailors in Tatsuma Yoshida’s Lions’ squad:
Goalkeepers: Hassan Sunny
Defenders: Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Tajeli Salamat
Midfielders: Hariss Harun, Saifullah Akbar, Shahdan Sulaiman, Song Ui-young, Adam Swandi
Forwards: Faris Ramli, Gabriel Quak, Hafiz Nor
The clock is ticking down on the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season. Some eight months of hard work will come down to the final 90 minutes of football this Sunday (10 October).
The script of this year’s title race could not have been written any better. With multiple protagonists, plot twists, postponements, and even moments personifying poetry in motion, the captivating story of the 2021 SPL season stands at the cusp of its resolution with the Lion City Sailors and Albirex Niigata (S) locked on 45 points going into the season finale.
The Sailors hold the upper hand, with a superior goal difference of +35, four better than the White Swans (+31), and also the advantage of having scored more goals (55, to Albirex’s 46). As it stands, should the Sailors beat Balestier Khalsa 1-0, Albirex will need to defeat Tanjong Pagar United in a concurrent match by at least 6-0 to be crowned kings of Singapore football.
Given the circumstances, Kim Do-hoon’s men are widely viewed as the favourites for the title, but the players are adamant that nothing will be taken for granted – they will need to go out onto the Jalan Besar Stadium’s plastic green stage, do their jobs and defeat a tricky Balestier side.
The last time these teams met in August, Marko Kraljevic’s Tigers put in an impressive shift with the Sailors requiring a 95th-minute Stipe Plazibat penalty to rescue a point at the Toa Payoh Stadium.
“We’re of course excited (at the prospect of winning the title), but we are clear that we have not won anything yet, and we cannot get ahead of ourselves at all,” emphasised Hariss Harun who has been a constant presence in the team since arriving from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the mid-season transfer window.
“We didn’t do that well against Balestier at their home ground, but this time we’re playing at Jalan Besar so we need to take advantage of that. It’s important that we keep the focus to finish this final step.”
Young full-back Nur Adam Abdullah sang from the same hymn book.
“Once we step on the pitch, we have to adopt a winning mentality, play with our hearts out and settle for nothing less,” said the 20-year-old, who is in his first season with the Sailors after joining from Young Lions.
“If we score one, we have to keep going for more to boost our goal difference. We’ll never know what’s happening over at the Albirex game, so all we can do is to control things on our side and let fate settle the rest.”
It has been a testing season for the Sailors who had to navigate choppy waters to get to this point. Four points from their opening three games left them playing catch-up, and just eight games into the season when form was beginning to pick up, Australian coach Aurelio Vidmar left to pursue other opportunities.
But the Sailors soldiered on, winning the three matches under the interim charge of Under-21 Head Coach Robin Chitrakar, before proceeding to put up a run of five wins and four draws under Kim.
Now on a club-record 17-match unbeaten record since losing 3-1 to Hougang United in mid-March, a title at the end of what has been a roller-coaster season would be particularly sweet for all the club.
“We struggled as a team at the start and there were people doubting whether we could win the title, but we stuck together,” said Nur Adam. “Gradually we found chemistry and began to play really well together. Everyone put in a lot of hard work and it would just be amazing for us to win the title to cap off the year.”
The Sailors have shown resilience all campaign, most notably bouncing back from a heartbreaking 1-1 draw against Albirex in which they conceded a last-minute goal to concede the title initiative. They won their next two matches (6-1 against Tampines Rovers and 3-0 against Geylang International), and were helped by the White Swans’ shock 0-0 draw against Tampines that turned things back in their favour.
“It’s normal in a season that there are some games that we don’t do well in. The challenge is to pick ourselves up mentally, and we’ve shown over the course of the year we are strong enough to bounce back,” said Hariss. “By our own hard work and some luck, we have stayed in the mix and it’s key that we keep improving and take the next step.”
Nur Adam is an example of a player who has thrived at the Sailors and brought his game to the next level in 2021. His enterprising displays at left-back have not gone unnoticed – he has been nominated for the Young Player of the Year gong alongside teammate Saifullah Akbar and Albirex’s Ryoya Taniguchi.
Noting the “understanding of the game” as his biggest improvement, Nur Adam believes this nomination would not have happened without the support system within the club.
“I appreciate how the senior players here always encourage and give us advice, instead of being hard on us, whenever we make mistakes,” said the 2018 Dollah Kassim Award winner. “I’ve learnt a lot about game management. For example when we’re winning, they will tell me ‘why should you dribble? Just keep the ball’, and things like that.
“Now I’m better at knowing when to release the ball, when to dribble – when to do the right things basically. I’ve also learnt a lot of new things under Coach Kim – he always teaches me how to position myself. It’s a really healthy environment at this club where I can truly grow as a player.”
With 90 minutes separating them and destiny, the Sailors are determined to complete the mission that they set out for themselves since their 2020 inception.
For a number of the players including Nur Adam, it would be their first-ever title in their careers and they simply cannot wait to get out onto the field in front of an expectant sell-out crowd on Sunday.
“To be SPL champion will be a great addition to my CV and something that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he said. “We’re looking forward to seeing a great crowd at Jalan Besar and my family members will be coming down as usual to give their support. Hopefully we can have a big celebration at the end of the game.”
For Hariss, it would be his first domestic title as well – which could come as a slight surprise to many given that he has seven Malaysia Super League (MSL) crowns to his name.
“It’s not just me, it’ll also be Gabriel’s (Quak) first as well. It’s also long overdue for my teammates like Hassan Sunny (who last won with Warriors FC in 2014) and Shahdan Sulaiman (who won with Tampines back in 2013). It’s been a while since we had a local side winning the title so it would be something nice for the fans,” said the 30-year-old.
“The first title is always the most difficult. I remember in my early years at JDT, we were facing strong competition from Pahang, Kedah and Selangor. The most important thing is to get across the finishing line and build on from there in the seasons to come.”
This Sunday, the Lion City Sailors will battle for the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title on the final matchday of the season (10 October). And while the players are firmly fixing their gaze on the Balestier Khalsa match at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the club will be well represented at the 2021 Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Awards Night that follows two days later.
Stipe Plazibat, with 14 goals and seven assists to his name in 17 appearances this year, is one of three nominees for the AIA Player of the Year award, his second consecutive nomination for the award.
He is joined on the nominees list by teammate Jorge Fellipe. The 32-year-old Brazilian has been a giant in defence and also equally important in the attacking third, scoring important goals – most notably against Albirex Niigata (S) and Young Lions – to keep the Sailors’ title hopes on track.
Hougang United’s Tomoyuki Doi – the league’s current top scorer with 19 goals in 20 matches – rounds up the nominees list for the award that was won by Sailors’ attacker Gabriel Quak last year.
Saifullah Akbar stood alongside Gabriel on stage in 2020, winning the AIA Young Player of the Year, and the 22-year-old midfielder is once again among the nominees for players aged 23 or under.
He will have to beat off competition from Albirex’s Ryoya Taniguchi – the White Swans’ leading goalscorer (nine) and assist-provider (eight) this year – as well as teammate Nur Adam Abdullah.
Nur Adam has been a picture of consistency in his debut season with the Sailors, making the left-back spot his own, with an eye-catching swashbuckling style.
There will be 10 award categories at the awards ceremony to be held at the Aux Media Studio. This is one more than last year, with the new Golden Glove Award – presented to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the SPL – for the first time.
Albirex custodian Takahiro Koga will become the SPL’s first Golden Glove winner. He has racked up eight clean sheets, three more than the next closest goalkeeper and cannot be overtaken with one game left to play.
The Sailors were big winners last year with Gabriel and Saifullah taking the biggest individual awards and Stipe named as league’s top-scorer.
The appointment of Kim Do-hoon as Lion City Sailors’ new head coach in May made waves in the local football fraternity. It was a move signalling the Sailors’ lofty ambitions to not just dominate the Singapore Premier League (SPL), but also a step towards growing into one of the best clubs in the region.
After all, the 51-year-old has won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) with K League 1 side Ulsan Hyundai as recently as last December. He also has a proven track record of improving the playing style and results of teams that he managed in his native Korea.
Just over three months since Kim officially came on board in late June, it already appears things are working out well. The Sailors are unbeaten in nine matches under him, with the report card showing five wins and four draws.
Kim is pleased with what his side has dished out on the pitch so far – both in terms of results and performance – and a key reason behind that is the Sailors’ firm commitment to adapt to his demands.
“A club like ours is expected to win every game and we know the expectations that are put on us. We’ve not been able to do so, but in every match there have certainly been positives that we can take away,” reflected the South Korean.
“The fact that we’ve been maintaining an unbeaten run shows that this team has a lot of grit and character.”
Coming into a team that already has the tools to succeed, Kim knew he had to manage things delicately and not throw the baby out with the bathwater. In short, change needed to come via evolution, not revolution – no matter how successful his methods were at Ulsan.
The first order of business, team cohesion.
From Day One, he moved to establish a club rule: players and officials form a circle before training sessions giving high-fives to one another. After the sessions, they will gather and clap three times before they leave. It is something centre-back Tajeli Salamat noted has improved the morale and vibe within the team.
“Building a positive club culture is very important to me,” said Kim. “At Ulsan, I established something similar. I want the players to not only feel a sense of belonging to the club, but feel like they’re part of a family together.”
And this has had an impact on the pitch. The Sailors are becoming a hardworking team that fights for the ball and are compact at the back, an improvement that complements their slick attacking qualities that were already in place.
But it was not all plain smooth-sailing.
The Sailors drew his first two matches in 1-1 draws against Albirex Niigata (S) and Balestier Khalsa. In the latter game, they struggled to break down a gritty Tigers outfit and had to rely on a 95th-minute Stipe Plazibat penalty to rescue a point.
That copped quite a bit of criticism on social media, but the Sailors committed to the change, and were confident of the work in progress, and duly delivered Kim’s first win in style, with a 4-1 thrashing of Tampines Rovers.
“Of course winning is always important, but time is needed for players to adapt to new tactics,” explained Kim. “Even during the first two games, the players and staff were committed to the philosophies that I’ve introduced, and I had confidence in them.
“The win over Tampines only served to enhance the confidence in what we’re doing.”
Under Kim, training has also been more physical and intense. The impact is undeniable. The Sailors have shown an improved ability to last throughout matches, coming from behind four times under his charge to rescue points.
One of those was a 3-1 win over Young Lions, a match in which they scored late goals to turn things around after trailing at half-time.
“Lasting the 90 minutes both physically and mentally has to be a basic for football players,” asserted Kim. “I’m happy to see how the players are able to do that and have always responded well to my training regime.”
Kim has also displayed a shrewd ability to get the best out of a quality squad. Under his charge, the likes of Tajeli Salamat, Song Ui-young and Hafiz Nor have been revitalised, including Faris Ramli who has racked up two goals and five assists in nine outings, this after just one goal and one assist in his first 10 appearances this season.
“I truly believe in squad rotation – giving everyone a chance to show what they got and also keep them match fit,” he said. “Keeping morale high is important for team cohesion. Furthermore, injuries can happen anytime and we need all players to be ready. Rotation of players therefore keeps the squad fresh and ready.”
The hard work and persistence could be rewarded handsomely. The Sailors are now on the verge of a first-ever SPL title. Having remained hot on the heels of Albirex all season, they took over at the summit at the end of Matchweek 20 and will now go into the final day of fixtures with destiny in their own hands.
Level on points with the White Swans albeit with a better goal difference, all the Sailors have to do is to equal or better Albirex’s result on 10 October to get their hands on the big prize.
Kim is proud of how far the team has come.
“The boys have been very cooperative and have shown a strong willingness to learn. It’s never easy to learn things under time constraints, but they’ve done really well to commit to what I’ve implemented for them,” said Kim.
“The team now looks more in sync, like a well-oiled machine. There’s definitely a better understanding in terms of attack and communication in defence. We’ve not just improved physically, but also mentally with increased durations of focus.
“We kept our heads high and carried on as professionals to win the next two games after dropping two points against Albirex (in September’s 1-1 draw). That is a huge credit to the team’s fighting spirit and winning mentality.”
While the focus is on winning the SPL, Kim has already set his sights on a bigger goal – excelling in the ACL next season.
“The players will deserve to celebrate and have a good rest after this season, but once we return, they know there’s more work to be done ahead of the ACL,” he said. “We have to continue to work hard together to forge higher standards for other Singaporean players and clubs to aspire to.”
A tasty season finale awaits
After a roller-coaster year of twists, turns and even corkscrews, the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season will come to a close this Sunday (10 October).
The Lion City Sailors now sit atop the eight-team SPL standings, ahead of Albirex Niigata (S) on goal difference, and will host Balestier Khalsa at the Jalan Besar Stadium at 5.30pm.
Victory could seal the Sailors’ first SPL title, but that will of course depend on the result of the Tanjong Pagar United-Albirex match happening at the same time.
The Sailors are heartened to have seen sensational support in stadiums across the island since restrictions were loosened to allow for 1,000 Singapore football fans into SPL matches.
We look forward to your continued support as we bring one of the most thrilling SPL seasons to a close.
Ticketing Information
Season Pass 2020 & 2021 – Complimentary
Adult – $15
Concession – $5
Each Season Pass is entitled to redeem 2 tickets.
Non-season pass holders may purchase up to 5 tickets
*Concession tickets are applicable to the following, with Concession Cards and a recent Photo ID requested upon entry for verification purposes:
– Students aged 16 and below with a valid Student Concession Card,
– Senior Citizens aged 60 and above with a valid Senior Citizen Concession Card.
Ticket Sales
North Entrance of Jalan Besar Stadium
1500hrs-1530hrs: Season Pass Redemption
1530hrs-1730hrs: Season Pass Redemption and General Sale
Conditions of Entry
The following conditions must be met for entry to SPL matches:
- Individuals must have completed the full vaccination regimen including the two-week (14 days) period after the second dose for the vaccination to take effect. Eligible vaccines include the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or any other vaccine in the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL), including Sinovac-CoronaVac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca.
- Fans who produce proof of a negative Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result, will also be allowed entry. The ART must be valid until the end of the event and must be taken at a Ministry of Health-certified ART practitioner; self-test kit results will not be valid for use of entry.
- Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 will be exempted from having to produce a negative ART result, but will need to present a Pre-Event Test Exemption Notice from any clinic offering ART or PCR testing services.
- Fans are required to produce proof of their completed vaccination status via the TraceTogether or the HealthHub app on their mobile phone, proof of negative ART test or Pre-Event Test Exemption Notice along with a valid form of identification such as NRIC or driver’s licence for verification purposes.
- Individuals aged 12 years and below are allowed entry for SPL capped at 20% of the actual event size.
