Category: News
The Lion City Sailors host Tanjong Pagar United at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday (20 August) evening, looking to make it two wins out of two under interim Head Coach Luka Lalić.
With the Sailors holding a three-point lead over closest challengers Albirex Niigata (S) at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) table – and a five-goal advantage in the goal difference count – Amirul Adli wants his side to keep their eyes on the prize in the final eight games of the season.
“We know what’s at stake right now at this crucial juncture. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing really – ultimately we have to focus on ourselves and instead of what the other teams or Albirex do,” said the Sailors’ vice-captain.
“That’s the only way to help us sharpen our qualities and get to the level required to last the distance. As a team, we’re well aware of the end goal – to retain the league title and earn the right to represent Singapore in the ACL (Asian Football Confederation Champions League) again.”
The Sailors got off to a sensational start under Luka as they sailed to a record-breaking 10-1 win over Young Lions last weekend, but the champions are no longer basking in the euphoria of the result and are out to replicate the same level of desire and intensity in the matches ahead.
“That result just shows that apart from the quality in our squad that has been often mentioned, our players are all hungry and working hard in our own way for the benefit of the team. No one is satisfied with where we’re right now, we’re all pushing hard to become better each day.
“Once we step onto the pitch, we go in with a hungry mindset to show our abilities and play a good game of football for our fans to enjoy,” said the 26-year-old, who wore the armband in the Young Lions fixture and the 4-0 win over Balestier Khalsa a fortnight ago.
With a full week’s worth of training under his belt, Luka – also the Technical Director of the Sailors’ Academy – is starting to implement his training philosophy. Adli noted the challenges of adapting to a different coaching style with just a quarter of the season to go, but the defender asserts that the team is embracing the challenge.
“Luka’s a very direct and straightforward coach – he’ll say exactly what he wants from us players so it’s not difficult to understand what he wants from the team. Obviously, it’s a new style of play under him and the intensity is high.
“He expects a lot of us but that’s also because he thinks highly of us. It’s been a short period of time, but we’re starting to understand what he wants and it’s getting easier for us each day,” added the Singapore international.
“Everyone has been very positive in training and working hard to get up to where he envisioned us to be.”
The Lion City Sailors today officially launched the PUMA Youth Champions League (YCL), a football competition aimed at raising youth football standards in Singapore by providing a platform for the best youth teams to consistently test themselves against each other in a professional environment.
The tournament is backed by leading global sports brand, PUMA, that has signed a two-year title sponsorship deal with the Sailors worth S$280,000.
The PUMA Youth Champions League
The inaugural tournament will run from September 2022 through to May 2023 and will feature the nation’s top teams across six age-group categories from Under-10 through to Under-16. With six teams featuring in each age-group category, the YCL will see a total of 360 games over the year that is split into two seasons – September to December and February to May – with a champion of each age-group category crowned at the end of every season.
The tournament is an affirmation of the Sailors’ commitment to youth development that is aligned with the club’s vision of professionalism, excellence and fuelling dreams of the next generation in its Academy that aims to be an elite youth hub.
“Creating a youth-centric competition such as the Youth Champions League offers the opportunity for the best-of-the-best youth teams to compete through a developmental football setting. Together with the Lion City Sailors, we have similar sentiments of being inspired to harness that fearless belief of youth, providing unbridled excitement, and the right spirit for the game through experiencing and participating in the matches through this partnership,” said Sanjay Roy, PUMA General Manager for Southeast Asia.
“PUMA is committed to nurturing and providing youth development in sports and we are proud to be a title sponsor for the YCL.”
A game changer for youth football in Singapore
The PUMA title sponsorship empowers tournament organisers, the Sailors, to fill a gap in the local youth development scene by implementing ideal competition regulations for each age-group – including group size (7-a-side up to 11-a-side), pitch size and game duration – in accordance with best practices adopted by the broader football world.
“Through our partnership, we provided the Sailors insight into the structure of the Feyenoord Academy and the Dutch youth football system. They combined this information with other best practices from top academies in Europe to create their own privately-run league. We are convinced that this new league structure, which is quite similar to the Dutch model, will contribute to the development of youth players in Singapore and at Lion City Sailors specifically,” said Feyenoord Rotterdam’s Head of Academy, Rini Coolen.
Earlier this year in February, the Sailors signed a three-year partnership – focused on youth development and education – with Feyenoord. The partnership has already witnessed the Sailors Academy’s Elite squad travel to the Netherlands for a training camp in June.
“Our partner club Lion City Sailors is deeply committed to the development of youth football in Singapore. We are therefore delighted to see them playing an important role in establishing a new youth football structure in the country, which will support the development of the game,” added Coolen.
John Morris, the Sailors’ Head, Commercial, is the Tournament Director of the PUMA YCL, and he is certain that the YCL will drive further development not just within the club, but across the football fraternity here.
“The club’s new training facility will allow us to more efficiently implement our holistic training programme, but it is equally important that we provide our trainees with age-group appropriate high-level competition regularly so they have the best possible conditions to develop their game,” he said.
“Such tournaments are not available in Singapore, and we’re delighted that with support from our partners and sponsors we’re able to create the YCL that will bring together Singapore’s best youth footballers and in regular high-level competition, to test themselves.”
The PUMA YCL will have a consistent media presence, with the tournament owning its own social media assets that will be populated with content across the year. This will include match highlights of all 360 matches packaged weekly according to age category, team features and even player interviews.
“We’re looking to take the implementation of best practices beyond the pitch as well, with a media plan that will spotlight the development of players who will go on to represent the country in the future. We’re delighted that we’ve received fantastic support from the local football community for the YCL and all it stands for,” added Morris.
A youth football fraternity abuzz with optimism
“Having a high-level competition where the best youth teams can face off against each other is a good opportunity for development. This is also a great platform not only for players to perform, but coaches and referees to test and progress in their craft,” said Razali Saad, Programme Director of Unleash The Roar!’s (UTR!) School Football Academies (SFA).
“If the teams and competition standards remain high, it can have an impact on youth football in the long term and hopefully contribute to the UTR! project,” added the former Singapore Captain.
The Euro Soccer Academy (ESA) is poised to field two teams, in the U11 and U12 categories, when the YCL kicks off in September, and ESA Director Ismail Hussin believes that the tournament will change things for his academy trainees.
“A key aspect of this tournament is that it’s going to be very competitive, and it’ll be a level which will bring the players to the elite standard. Usually, the tournaments which we participate in revolve around the fun factor, but this is different, we have to be really ready. This will help my kids to prepare more than before for real competition,” he said.
“With a big sponsor like PUMA coming in and the world-class facilities that LCS provide, these boys are going to be well taken care of and will get proper guidance. With no tournament fee needed, the entry barrier is lower and we’ll be able to get more good local boys to participate and help them get to the elite level that we aspire them to get to.”
The sentiment is shared by Global Football Academy (GFA) Japan’s Head Coach, Osamu Akao.
“It is important for Singapore’s elite youth football players to gain experience playing against more diverse and higher-level players. A player’s daily life changes by experiencing highly competitive league matches: I believe that developing good habits as a football player from when they are young will only help the player grow in the future,” he said.
“It’s great that Singapore has that passion for youth league competition.”
Feyenoord’s Coolen is optimistic that the PUMA YCL will help growth of the game in Singapore. He said: “Once again, we are proud of the development of our partner club and we respect their commitment to achieve the best possible youth football structure in their own country.”
The Lion City Sailors took a significant step forward in their bid to win the 2022 Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL), sweeping fellow title challengers Albirex Niigata (S) aside 4-0 at the Yishun Stadium on Sunday (14 August) night.
The result meant the Sailors women took advantage of closest rivals Tanjong Pagar United’s slip-up – a 0-0 draw with Balestier Khalsa a day earlier – to go five points clear at the top with a game in hand.
A clinical Nur Izzati Rosni hat-trick and a first WPL goal by Miray Hokotate Altun powered the Sailors past a much-improved White Swans outfit that was bolstered by mid-season arrivals – including former Japan international Kana Kitahara who was part of the team that finished runners-up in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
While Izzati earned the plaudits for her goals, Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan preferred to give credit to an all-round team performance that saw the Sailors women secure their fifth clean sheet in seven matches.
“As compared to the previous two matches where the opponents were very defensive, this was a much more entertaining game with Albirex coming out to attack us. We were tested in both attack and defence,” said the 44-year-old.
“But the girls did what we’ve been training on – it’s not easy to link up at the top when they’re not used to it but that’s the part that we’ve been constantly working on. There’s still passes which are not completed, but we’re getting there slowly,” added Sheau Shyan, who was delighted with the lively display by new German signing Paula Druschke on her WPL debut.
“Paula has settled into the team very quickly; her work rate both in attacking and defending impressed me massively. She adds another dimension to our game as a left-footed inside forward and I look forward to what more she can do in the coming games,” said Sheau Shyan.
Izzati is now the WPL top scorer with eight goals, but like her coach, she pointed to the team performance as the key to Sunday’s victory.
“It’s an amazing feeling (to score a hat-trick) for sure, but it’s really all about the team – without my teammates’ assistance, I can’t finish. On the whole, everyone played their best. We were very disciplined in our positioning and really followed what Coach Sheau Shyan taught us,” said the 23-year-old.
“We were calm, didn’t rush things or follow Albirex’s tempo. We didn’t hurry when they played that long ball and just worked on winning the ball and slowly built up our play from there.
“It seems like we were confident enough to pass the ball around, make those through passes in the attacking half and finish off the chances – which is good because that’s what we’ve been working on in the past few training sessions.”
Izzati struck just 47 seconds into the game to give the Sailors a perfect start, before Miray netted with an emphatic finish in the 39th minute to double the advantage.
Izzati then curled a stupendous dipping shot into the top corner on 57 minutes, before applying the finishing touch to a great team move seven minutes later to cap off a memorable night.
A combination of the woodwork, some desperate defending and a couple of stunning point-blank saves by goalkeeper Beatrice Tan late on meant the Sailors preserved a valuable clean sheet en route to their sixth win in seven matches.
“It was important for not just Beatrice, but also our defence to know that we can defend well against a former Japanese international. This clean sheet will give our girls a lot of confidence for the remaining games,” said Sheau Shyan.
With five games left and a considerable advantage at the top of the table, the Sailors women are now widely viewed as favourites to win the WPL, but Sheau Shyan called for added concentration.
“We want to get the title – no doubt about that. But we have to go match by match and fight to get every three points out there,” she stressed.
“There are still areas of the game that we can improve on and that’ll be our focus – to play even better and reward our fans who come to watch us.”
Three braces, one hat-trick and a 15th different scorer for the season.
A ruthless Lion City Sailors put Young Lions to the sword in interim Head Coach Luka Lalić’s first match in charge on Saturday (13 August) evening, claiming a record-breaking 10-1 win at Jalan Besar Stadium to go four points clear at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) table.
This is the Sailors’ biggest win since their 2020 inception – superseding the 8-0 victory over Geylang International in April 2021 – and they also became just the second side in league history to hit double digits in a match since Geylang did so in 10-2 victory over Young Lions in August 2003.
The emphatic result on his bow as SPL head coach should have given Luka much satisfaction, but the new man at the helm refused to draw any conclusions from this match – preferring instead to focus on the voyage ahead.
“Maybe for some players, they would have enjoyed this. But for me, I don’t really look at this result. This is not a realistic picture of the league and opponents that we’re going to face,” said the 35-year-old.
“Young Lions have had a difficult schedule this week, and these young boys didn’t get much rest at all, and we took advantage of that.
“But there are several things that can be improved and need to be improved. I always look at things from a negative standpoint first and I’m putting my focus on the areas that can be worked on from next week onwards.”
All eyes were on Luka’s first Sailors lineup and he chose to keep faith with most of the same eleven that started the 4-0 win over Balestier Khalsa a week ago. Izwan Mahbud remained in goal, Amirul Adli continued to wear the captain’s armband while Adam Swandi was retained in central midfield.
The solitary change was Naqiuddin Eunos coming in at right back with the 25-year-old making just his second start of the season.
From the get-go, the defending SPL champions played with a high level of intensity, and it was no surprise they opened the scoring after just seven minutes. Izwan’s long punt upfield was knocked on by Kim Shin-wook, with Maxime sprinting onto the ball, before rounding Young Lions goalkeeper Ridhwan Fikri to slot into an empty net.
Scorer turned creator just five minutes later. Maxime laid an exquisite through ball for Gabriel Quak to slot beyond the onrushing Ridhwan and double the Sailors’ advantage.
It was 3-0 by the 15th minute with Shin-wook turning well in the box to score with a low shot after Song Ui-young’s pass bounced off a Young Lions defender and into his path.
Young Lions did pull one back a minute later through Abdul Rasaq, but the Sailors’ three-goal lead was restored in the 33rd minute with Maxime producing an inch-perfect dinked cross for Gabriel to thump in an emphatic volley for his second of the night.
Gabriel would return the favour just a minute later, his pass putting Maxime into acres of space to score from a tight angle and make it 5-1.
Maxime’s night was not done just yet as he carried his irresistible form into the second half. The former PSV Eindhoven winger first teed up Shin-wook for a clinical low finish on 50 minutes, before repeating the trick 11 minutes later for the big no. 9 to complete his third SPL hat-trick and put Luka’s side 7-1 up.
Two goals and four assists exemplified Maxime’s massive influence as he came off to a deserved standing ovation in the 67th minute to be replaced by Hami Syahin.
Shin-wook, Pedro Henrique and Diego Lopes were then subsequently subbed off as well, as Luka went with an all-local Sailors eleven for the latter stages of the game and their replacements wasted little time in making an impact.
Just like the last game, Faris Ramli came off the bench to good effect with two delightful deliveries for Song to fire low past a hapless Ridhwan in both the 74th minute and 81st minute – as the away side went 9-1 up.
The Sailors put the icing on the cake on 85 minutes, with Hami benefitting from an excellent Adam ball over the top for his first goal in Sailors colours and that helped the club create history in the process.
The huge win meant the Sailors improved their goal difference to 44, five better than nearest challengers Albirex Niigata (S) and it was one that gave Man-of-the-Match Gabriel much satisfaction.
“We didn’t allow it (the coaching change) to affect our game. We are all professionals, so we went into the game trying to do our job – and we delivered. Ultimately, it’s a very good team victory.
“Coach Luka’s been with the Sailors’ setup for a few years now, so there should be no problems for him to settle in. We are looking forward to what more we can do together under his charge,” said the 31-year-old.
As for Luka, he is already looking beyond this game and laying down his philosophy further to help the Sailors maintain their title charge.
“The players enjoyed the victory, no doubt. But from Monday onwards, we’re going to turn a new page and make a new start. There’re areas for us to work on to become a better team.”
Following Albirex Niigata’s win over Tanjong Pagar United last weekend, it is now a three-horse race for the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title, with the Lion City Sailors still leading the charge.
But the Sailors women, who are currently three points ahead of both Albirex and Tanjong Pagar, will see their status as top dog come under serious threat this Sunday evening (14 August), when they face the former in a proverbial six-pointer.
Having signed several new players in the transfer window, Albirex are now a distinctly different proposition to the team that was beaten 4-1 by the Sailors back in June.
As such, Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan expects that, unlike most of the other teams in the league, who are content to sit back and defend, Albirex will look to take the game to the Sailors this weekend.
“Albirex have buffed up their team significantly with several key signings in the transfer window. So, I’d be very disappointed if all they’ll do is try and defend against us,” said Sheau Shyan.
“But after winning their last two matches, I fully expect Albirex to be coming at us with full force.”
The Sailors will be heading into this crucial fixture against Albirex after having spent last weekend in Malaysia, where the Sailors had the opportunity to tour the facilities at Selangor FC and learn about how their women’s team is run.
And Sheau Shyan believes that the trip, while strenuous, served its purpose in inspiring the Sailors to aim high.
“It was a long and tiring bus trip to and fro, but it was very fruitful,” Sheau Shyan mused. “We got to tour their facilities, observe their grassroots day girls’ football clinic, and hear about their plans for the women’s team, which was really inspiring.
“They are well integrated within their club structure, and are a good example for us to follow. They intend to qualify for the AFC women’s club championship in the near future, and that’s what we are working towards too.”
Following the trip to Selangor, Sheau Shyan revealed that some players in the team took a much-needed break, with many of them not having had the chance to do so since their involvement in Singapore’s ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship campaign last month.
Sheau Shyan remained confident that her charges will have enough quality in their ranks to get all three points against their title rivals.
“Some of our players took a short break this week. It’s not ideal for performance, but it’s what we have to cope with as an amateur club,” said Sheau Shyan. “We will make changes this weekend against Albirex and try our best to get the results we want.
“Every point is crucial. We set out to play 100% every match, and it will be no different against Albirex – we want to complete every pass, win every challenge, treasure every moment. That’s the process we are focused on, and hopefully the outcome will be in our favor.”
Luka Lalić’s first test as Lion City Sailors interim Head Coach comes just two days after being appointed and it comes in the form of a Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against Young Lions on Saturday (13 August) evening.
It is a test that the Technical Director of the Sailors’ Academy embraced once the club came calling.
“I will do whatever the club requires of me, and I’ll always try to deliver something. I can only say I’ll give my best and I’ll make sure the players give their best,” he said.
“My assessment from the past couple of weeks and months is that there are things that can be improved. I’ll try to work on those things as quickly as possible so that we can see results on the field.
“Of course, I have ambitions of taking a head coach role and maybe it came earlier than expected, but for me, whatever the club needs always comes first.”
With a short lead time, Luka addressed the Sailors’ first-team players on Thursday afternoon and took training for the first time on Friday morning – and his focus was clear: to keep the team driving towards retaining the SPL title the club won for the first time last year.
“We’ve got a game coming so quickly, so there was not much I could say – all I did was to introduce myself and share some direct messages about respect, prejudice and ego. I will need to know them better and the same goes the other way round, so that was a good starting point.
“At the end of the day, I think everyone is clear that we’re all working towards achieving the goals of the club,” said the 35-year-old.
While Luka has been focused on youth football for the past few years from his time with Feyenoord Rotterdam to joining the Sailors Academy in June 2020, he is well familiar with the professional football scene in Singapore. He was a fitness coach with Balestier Khalsa’s first team between 2011 to 2013 and then served as assistant coach at Woodlands Wellington in 2014.
Stepping up from guiding youth development at the Sailors’ Academy to be the man spearheading the first team’s title charge, Luka acknowledged the pressure that comes with his new role.
“That’s the beauty of professional sports right? Working in a football club that has to win titles, there is a certain pressure and also challenges that come with it. But for me, it’s a privilege to have this pressure and be in this situation where I will be tested,” he said.
With the team going into the business end of the SPL season, these tests will come thick and fast. Luka is mindful of not rocking the boat too much and will instead focus on evolution – and will enlist the support of senior players to help navigate the waters ahead.
“What kind of changes I’ll make will depend on the reactions of the players. There’ll be some changes to training methodology, to the way we communicate and analyse things. But in terms of off-field issues and scheduling, there won’t be many differences,” said Luka.
“I like to have players in the decision-making process and make them responsible for it. Of course, senior players will play a big role in this setup – not only by their leadership and seniority, but also their character that will set a good example for the younger players.”
Sailors captain Hariss called for his Sailors to close ranks and keep their eyes trained on the target.
“We are truly grateful for Coach Kim Do-hoon’s mentorship and guidance that led us to our first-ever SPL title and good results in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL),” said Hariss.
“Now we’re going to give our fullest support to Coach Luka and we have full confidence in him to lead us while the club is looking for a permanent replacement.
“It’s important that as a club, we rally together and fight for each other. Nothing’s going to affect our focus – our heads are firmly on helping the club retain our SPL title and earn the right to compete in the ACL next season,” he stressed.
The Sailors have all hands on deck with various people coming together to ensure that the team can continue on the charge towards the SPL title, even if it means adapting – or putting in more work.
“I’m at the Training Centre working every day from early morning to late night, so in terms of time, nothing’s going to change for me. Obviously now there’s a much bigger focus that I have to put into the first team, but I have good people in the Academy who can take over part of my responsibilities there and I will use that time to focus on first-team duties,” said Luka.
He knows he will be judged on results but Luka remains keen to lay down his football philosophy as much as possible.
“I know for a team like us, it’s not enough just to win games, we’ll need to win games by playing effective and attacking football. The ultimate goal is clear – we want to be champions of the league again.
“And however long I’m going to be in charge, I will give my all for this club.”
Lion City Sailors and Head Coach Kim Do-hoon have reached a mutual agreement to part ways. We thank him for his service, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours.
Lion City Sailors Football Academy Technical Director Luka Lalic will take interim charge of the first team and games including the next Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture against the Young Lions on 13 August.
As Majulah Singapura blared over the sound system at the Lion City Sailors Training Centre, the club’s first-team players, Academy trainees, MacPherson residents as well as Member of Parliament (MP) for MacPherson Single Member Constituency (SMC) Tin Pei Ling sang with gusto and proceeded to recite the National Pledge in unison, reaffirming their commitment to Singapore.
It was quite the sight at the newly-opened Training Centre on Tuesday (9 August) morning as the club opened its doors to the community, hosting MacPherson Zone E Residents’ Committee (RC) and MacPherson Community Sports Club (CSC)’s National Day Observance Ceremony (NDOC) – the first time the Sailors welcomed the community at large.
Some 300 residents walked en mass from the MacPherson Community Centre across to the Training Centre on Mattar Road, where they partook in an ActiveSG workout, tried out a couple of sports, had a little bit of fun at some game booths and had the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere at the new home of the Sailors – with the Sailors first-team players and Academy trainees going through their paces on both pitches even as the event took place.
It was a blazing hot morning, but it was clear that MacPherson residents enjoyed a meaningful morning and showed even greater warmth in their interactions with one another at a facility which was designed to support more than just elite sports.
Apart from having a world-class facility to hone the skills of budding footballers, the newly-constructed Training Centre was aimed to facilitate service to residents and bring greater vibrancy to the Mattar neighbourhood and the MacPherson community.
The Training Centre which includes a viewing area for the public, a café, as well as community-friendly spaces at Level 2 has started on good footing.
Less than two weeks after its official opening on 28 July 2022, the Training Centre has already opened its doors to family, friends and the community across two events.
Earlier on 31 July, the integrated facility opened its doors to families of players, coaches and staff from both the Sailors first team and Academy for its inaugural Family Day, offering all a first-hand look at the new home of the Sailors, as well as to soak up the fun and games on offer.
After viewing the various facets of the Training Centre such as the Academy’s locker rooms, first team changing room and recreation room, the kids and younger ones had the chance to participate in an inflatable penalty game, four 1v1 stations and a bouncy castle – and also enjoyed treats like popcorn, candy floss and ice cream in what was a carnival at Mattar.
One thing is for sure – the Sailors’ firm commitment to serving the grassroots and bringing the community together through football.
“It has always been our aim to sink roots into Mattar and embrace the community around our new home. We’ve started regular discussions with our neighbours and the grassroots organisations here on possible collaborations, and we’re grateful that they’ve made us feel very welcome,” said Sailors Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang.
“Through football, we can bring people together and do our bit to build a cohesive and united society in Singapore. And this will be the heart of everything we do, especially because football is one of the best vehicles to drive cohesion.”
MP for MacPherson SMC, Tin Pei Ling was similarly looking forward to more collaborative efforts between the Sailors and MacPherson grassroots organisations in the future.
She said: “Chun-Liang and his Sailors have been fantastic neighbours, from collaborating with our grassroots organisations in MacPherson for a Grant-a-Wish initiative in November 2021 even before they moved into Mattar Road, to now hosting a significant event like the NDOC.
“We’re delighted that the Sailors have embraced the MacPherson communities as much as they have, and I look forward to further deepening our relationship with the club as they settle down here.
“The Sailors’ wonderful facility opens up several options for various grassroot activities, and we’re delighted that they are so open to working with our grassroots.”
A furious start and a second-half flourish did the trick for the Lion City Sailors on Saturday (6 August) evening as they thumped Balestier Khalsa 4-0 to return to winning ways in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
An early Kim Shin-wook penalty conversion was followed up by three goals in seven minutes – Maxime Lestienne, Saifullah Akbar and Song Ui-young the scorers – in the latter stages of the game as the champions went four points clear at the top of the SPL standings, although second-placed Albirex Niigata (S) could narrow the gap against Young Lions next Wednesday.
In the absence of Hariss Harun and Shahdan Sulaiman who were missing out due to minor knocks, a much-changed Sailors lineup led by Amirul Adli put up a commendable performance that pleased Head Coach Kim Do-hoon.
“Credit must go to the boys today – several of them haven’t played in a couple of games, but they’re the heroes of the night,” said the 52-year-old.
“Thank you to the fans as well and I hope we brought them happiness tonight. It’s the weekend before National Day so it’s an important win for all Singaporeans and most importantly, we’re back to winning ways.”
Kim rang the changes in the starting lineup, with Shin-wook one of five players brought in following last Friday’s 4-2 defeat to Albirex and he would put the Sailors ahead after just five minutes.
After Diego Lopes drew a foul from Madhu Mohana with his trademark pirouette turn, the former Ulsan Hyundai striker confidently dinked his effort down the middle for his 13th goal of the season.
Shin-wook then went close on another two occasions in the first half but was thwarted by Balestier goalkeeper Hairul Syirhan.
The Sailors maintained the 1-0 lead till half time and Balestier did grow into the game after the break, but there was to be no breakthrough for the away side.
Wearing the captain’s armband for the Sailors for the first time, Adli hardly put a foot wrong at the heart of defence and kept the Tigers’ Japanese trio of Ryoya Taniguchi, Kuraba Kondo and Shuhei Hoshino largely at bay.
Meanwhile Adam Swandi filled the Shahdan-shaped void in the middle of the park perfectly with an all-action display, consistently regaining possession and dictating the tempo.
A triple substitution was then made in the 69th minute to inject impetus and it made all the difference for the Sailors.
Faris Ramli made an immediate impact just a minute later as he slipped Maxime through before the latter curled home a neat effort beyond Hairul to double the Sailors’ advantage.
Saifullah – another sub – then joined in the party as he made a lung-bursting run from midfield to finish off Diego’s perfectly-weighted squared pass to complete a great counter-attacking move in the 72nd minute.
That was the 23-year-old’s first goal of the season and it came against a side led by his father Akbar Nawas.
“It wasn’t about my dad’s team – what pushed me to make that extra run to score was that I’ve yet to score this season and I knew I needed to add more goals to my game,” he emphasised.
“As I’ve said in previous interviews, this has not been a smooth year for me but I’m doing everything to get back to form and I’ve been on a good run lately. But I’m not satisfied with just this – I want to do more to help the team retain our SPL title.”
The victory was rounded off on 77 minutes, with Maxime turning provider as he produced an inch-perfect cross across the six-yard box for Song to tap home at the far post.
There was still time for late drama with Balestier earning a contentious penalty in the 89th minute after Kondo was adjudged to be brought down by Hafiz Nor, but the former’s effort from 12 yards out was denied by Izwan Mahbud – who kept his first Sailors clean sheet in his fourth appearance for the club.
A good all-round display has now given some food for thought for Coach Kim ahead of the Sailors’ next task – an away game against Young Lions next Saturday (13 August).
“Hariss and Shahdan have played many minutes, so we’ll assess them again before the next match,” said Kim.
“I have players who proved themselves tonight, I have players who’re hungry to play – whoever is fit and ready will play in the next game.”
The Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against Balestier Khalsa at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday (6 August) evening is set to make a little bit of family history – pitting son against father.
Sailors midfielder Saifullah Akbar is set to go up against a side led by his father, Balestier head coach Akbar Nawas, for the first time.
Saifullah played under the tutelage of Akbar in national age-group teams as well as at Tampines Rovers in the early days of his football career, but the 23-year-old never had to face his father as an opponent.
The pair enjoy a closely knitted relationship and often discuss the Beautiful Game, but things have been just that bit different in the build-up to this game.
“My dad and I talk a lot about football and discuss the game together, but at the same time we are professionals in the sport so we know the boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.
“As our teams are going to play each other, we don’t talk as much as we usually do – so that we don’t say or share things that should not be discussed between the two of us,” revealed Saifullah, who missed the Sailors’ earlier two encounters against the Tigers this season – 4-0 and 6-1 victories – due to injuries.
After a difficult first half of 2022 that saw him fail to make a league appearance between mid-March and late June, things are looking up for Saifullah. He has fought his way back into first-team contention and is now looking to make a stronger impact in the business end of the season.
“Personally, it hasn’t been a good year with injuries and non-selection, but I know I cannot simply walk back into the team with the quality we have in our ranks. I told myself that I need to stay patient, work hard and perform whenever I’m given the opportunity to play.
“I think I’ve done decent enough in the minutes I’ve been given recently, but of course I have to do even more to show Coach Kim (Do-hoon) that I deserve to be in the first eleven,” said the midfield playmaker.
July was not the best of months for the league-leading Sailors who won just one of their last four matches, with second-placed Albirex Nigata (S) closing the gap to two points while still having a game in hand.
August will see Kim’s men taking on Balestier, Young Lions, Tanjong Pagar and Hougang United – and Saifullah revealed that the team’s target is to collect the maximum of 12 points.
“No disrespect to our opponents, but everyone expects the Sailors to beat every team in the league and we obviously must maintain our high standards. Our results haven’t been good, but in my opinion the performances have been quite good.
“Several times we were unable to convert our chances and that’s clearly an area we need to improve. With 10 games left, it’s important that we stick together and maintain our focus. What’s past is in the past – we cannot let what happened bring our spirits down and we just have to keep going till the end to retain the league title,” he stressed.
The Sailors’ immediate focus is to take down seventh-placed Balestier and get back to winning ways – a target Saifullah is confident of hitting.
“My dad has been trying to build an identity with Balestier to play out from the back and I believe they will likely play in the same manner against us,” said Saifullah.
“It could be a tricky game for sure and we can’t take things lightly, but if we play to our standards and Coach’s philosophy, we should be able to get the win.”
