Category: News
Lion City Sailors will continue to play their Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches as scheduled, after the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) confirmed that the league will be allowed to carry on behind closed doors.
In light of a recent spike in Covid-19 infections in the community, the Singapore government announced tighter safe management measures that will come into force on May 16.
However, as all SPL players and officials undergo mandatory swab testing, the new measures will not affect the status of the league.
“Strict protocols will continue to be in place, including zonal demarcation before and after matches to ensure the safety and health of all stakeholders are of top priority,” said the FAS on Friday (May 14).
Sailors fans can still catch the team in action LIVE via SPL’s Facebook page and Youtube channel, as well as the Facebook page of 1 Play Sports.
The Sailors will next take on Tanjong Pagar United this Sunday (May 16), 5.30pm, at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Lion City Sailors are delighted to announce the signing of Singapore national team captain Hariss Harun.
The 30-year-old midfielder joins the Sailors on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Malaysia Super League (MSL) side Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT). Hariss enjoyed an eight-year history-making spell with the Southern Tigers, who have had an iron grip on the MSL title since 2014, and became the first Malaysian side to win a continental title when they lifted the Asian Football Confederation Cup (AFC Cup) in 2015.
Hariss spent the 2017 season on loan at Home United, the previous iteration of the Sailors, in a season that saw the team score 97 goals in all competitions, finishing third in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) – then titled the S.League – and second runners-up in the Singapore Cup. Hariss will be reunited with both Stipe Plazibat and Faris Ramli, who were also members of the team of 2017.
“I’m thrilled to return home. The SPL is where I started to build my career, and it’s wildly exciting to now be a part of the Lion City Sailors’ vision of building up a club that can act as a catalyst for the SPL and Singapore football,” said Hariss.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with JDT, and it was an honour to have worn the armband for a team that enjoyed tremendous success on the pitch while also making amazing improvements off the field too. I’d like to express my gratitude to Tunku Ismail for his leadership and trust in me, and I’d also like to thank the JDT team, staff and the people of Johor for welcoming me as one of their own.
“I can’t wait to get started on my next chapter with the Sailors, and I look forward to years of Sailors’ on-field success and off the pitch progress.”
Sailors Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang said he was excited at the prospect of adding a Singapore football luminary to the club’s bullpen.
“Hariss is a model professional who has shown that he is a leader in the dressing room as well as on the pitch, and we’re looking forward to him contributing to all the various facets of the Lion City Sailors project,” said Chew.
“It was a pleasure working with our JDT counterparts to iron out this deal that will bring Singapore’s national team captain to the Sailors, and competing in domestic competitions.
“Hariss has all the qualities that will not only strengthen the Sailors, but make our fans proud of what we’re aiming to build at the club. We’re delighted to welcome Hariss back to Singapore.”
Hariss will officially link up with the Sailors in June after the next international break.
Given that the Lion City Sailors had beaten Geylang International 8-0 in their previous encounter, there were many who had expected the Sailors to notch up yet another big win when the two teams met again in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (9 May) evening.
Sailors midfielder Saifullah Akbar was not one of them.
The 22-year-old understood just how much that defeat must have hurt the Geylang players, and so, knew that they would be desperate to make amends this time around.
Saifullah explained: “Going into this game, the whole team knew it wouldn’t be an easy encounter, as Geylang would want to prove that the 8-0 loss last time out was a fluke.
“They also now had their key players like Barry (Maguire) and Moresche back in the team, so it was always going to be a completely different Geylang side that we were facing this time.”
Saifullah was right. The Eagles put on a spirited display against the Sailors and came close on several occasions to denying Saifullah’s side of all three points.
The Sailors took the lead through Stipe Plazibat in the 22nd minute, before being pegged back by Moresche’s equaliser just five minutes later.
With Geylang fighting tooth and nail for every ball, the Sailors needed something special to edge the tie – and Saifullah was only too happy to oblige with a long-range effort in the 57th minute that rifled into the bottom corner of the net.
Reflecting on his winning goal, a delighted Saifullah said: “It’s an incredible feeling to have scored that winning goal. The goal came quite early in the second-half so I didn’t think that would be it because the game was fairly open, and we had a few more chances after that.
“It was only after the final whistle that I realised how important it was to score that goal. But overall, I think it’s a massive relief that we were able to get the win over Geylang.
“Credit has to go to our team as well, because we remained calm throughout despite the tough resistance from Geylang. But with the experience and quality that we have, I was always confident that we would eventually be able to get the job done.”
This was also the first competitive game without Aurelio Vidmar in the Sailors dugout. The former Australia captain had left the club at the end of April.
While admitting that it took some time to come to terms with, Saifullah praised interim head coach Robin Chitrakar for carrying on where Aurelio left off – the Sailors are unbeaten in six matches, and are now just within one point of SPL leaders Albirex Niigata (S).
“It was initially a little weird (not to have Aurelio around), and it took me quite a while to adapt to that,” Saifullah conceded. “But coach Robin is doing a great job in keeping us going from where we left off with Aurelio, and I’m confident that we will only go from strength to strength.
“The morale within the team has always been great, and with this run of good form that we are on now, it’s just getting better. We’re all already looking forward to the next match!”
The Sailors will next take on Tanjong Pagar United, a team they beat 5-0 earlier in the season, at the Jalan Besar Stadium this Sunday (16 May) at 5.30pm.
Lion City Sailors will play our Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches behind closed doors from May 8, 2021, in line with the new Covid-19 restrictions announced on Tuesday.
Up to 250 spectators were allowed into the stadiums for SPL games last month, and we were delighted to have our fans supporting us live at the games against Geylang International, Balestier Khalsa, and most recently, Hougang United.
However, the recent rise in Covid-19 infections has led to the authorities implementing stricter measures for SPL games.
Sailors CEO Chew Chun-Liang said: “We fully understand and support the decision to have SPL games played behind closed doors. The wellbeing and health of our fans, players, and staff remains our top priority.
“We are naturally disappointed that our fans can no longer support us in person. Their presence at the stadiums in our last few games, especially against Hougang, provided a real boost to the team.
“But we urge our fans to adhere to the new Covid-19 measures implemented by the authorities, so that we can get through this storm together as quickly as possible. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before the restrictions are lifted, and fans will be allowed back into stadiums again.”
Fans can still catch the Sailors in action LIVE on broadcast via the SPL Facebook page and YouTube channel, as well as the 1 Play Sports Facebook page.
The Sailors will next take on Geylang International this Sunday, 8.30pm, at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Join The Crew!
As Lion City Sailors’ interim Head Coach, Robin Chitrakar knows he has an important role to play from now to when a permanent replacement for the outgoing Aurelio Vidmar is appointed.
With the Sailors on a good run of form – they are unbeaten in their last five games, having won four of them and drawn one – Robin has the huge responsibility of ensuring that the team continues to pick up the wins as they work towards their goal of finishing as champions of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) this season.
While Aurelio will only officially part ways with the Sailors tomorrow (April 30), Robin has already been heavily involved in leading the training sessions for the senior team.
And the 44-year-old, who holds an AFC Professional Coaching Diploma, revealed that his main focus at the moment is on continuing the good work that Aurelio has done with the Sailors.
“I’m not here to make huge changes. Coach Aurelio has done very well with the team…he has laid a solid foundation, so my role now is to simply carry on from where he left off,” Robin explained.
“Under coach Aurelio, the team’s philosophy was to attack, and that is what we’ll stick to because it’s proven to be effective. But of course, we’ll reflect and make some tweaks according to who our next opponent is.”
This is not the first time that Robin, who is also the head coach of the Sailors’ Under-21 side, has managed a senior team in the SPL.
About a decade ago, when the SPL was still known as the S.League, Robin was the head coach of the Young Lions. During that stint, which lasted from 2011 to 2012, he worked with and helped develop several of the current stars in the Sailors squad, including Faris Ramli, Gabriel Quak, Shahdan Sulaiman, Aqhari Abdullah and Tajeli Salamat.
While acknowledging that it has been “quite long ago” since he led a senior team, Robin is confident that, together with the rest of the technical team, they will be able to stabilise the ship in the absence of a permanent head coach.
“On the player front, everybody knows that we have top quality in our ranks. But we also have a very strong technical team and dedicated backroom staff who all work hard to help the team perform at their optimum on match days,” said Robin.
“So, I don’t have any concerns about taking on this role because the support is there. I’ll be working closely with everyone, especially assistant head coach Noh (Rahman) and Head of Sports Science Mario (Jovanovic) to keep the Sailors going until a permanent head coach is found.”
The Sailors are currently second in the SPL, just three points behind league leaders Albirex Niigata (S). They will next take on Geylang International at the Jalan Besar Stadium next Sunday (May 9), at 8.30pm.
Robin believes the two-week break in between the Sailors’ last game against Hougang United (a 1-0 win over the Cheetahs) and their next fixture against the Eagles will be beneficial for the players.
“The boys are all going to miss Aurelio, so it’s good that we have two weeks before the next match, because then it’ll give them more time to adapt to life without him,” Robin elaborated.
“It’s important that everyone is ready for the visit of Geylang. They’re a very good side that retains possession very well. They were unfortunate with injuries early in the season and failed to make their chances count, but they are a very dangerous team overall. We’ve got to be wary especially of their attacking set-pieces, so we’ll have to prepare for that.”
And while Robin may not be in the Sailors dugout as the team’s head coach for long, he has promised the club’s fans that he will do all he can to make them happy.
“Like everyone else here at the club, I’m only focused on helping the Sailors win the SPL this season,” Robin declared. “It’s an honour to be given this responsibility, and my promise to the Sailors fans is that I will work my hardest to tide the team through this period of transition.
“Ultimately, we want to make our fans happy by playing entertaining football while getting the right results. That is what I intend to achieve with the Sailors, and I hope you’ll continue to give me and the team your utmost support.”
Aurelio Vidmar leaves Lion City Sailors
Lion City Sailors announce today that the club will part ways with our head coach, Aurelio Vidmar, who has decided to pursue other opportunities, with effect from 30th of April 2021.
“We sincerely thank Aurelio for his work in getting the Lion City Sailors project off the ground in our first season, and for implementing a mindset of professionalism and excellence in the club,” said Sailors CEO, Chew Chun-Liang.
“We wish Aurelio nothing but the best in his future endeavours.”
Vidmar led the Sailors to third spot in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) in the club’s first season since its February 2020 founding, a truncated season hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the team lit up the league with scintillating attacking football that saw three Sailors receive personal accolades at the year-end SPL Awards night – Gabriel Quak was named Player of the Year, with Saifullah Akbar picked as the SPL’s Young Player of the year and Stipe Plazibat’s 14 goals in 14 matches saw him end 2020 as the league’s top scorer.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Lion City Sailors project and I thoroughly enjoyed my time here with the team and management. I’m sure Singapore football fans were entertained by some of the football we continue to dish out, and I look forward to hearing about the future successes of the club,” said Vidmar.
“Thank you, Sailors, and thank you Singapore for your hospitality and kindness during my time here.”
Robin Chitrakar, the head coach of the Sailors’ Under-21 side will take charge of the first team on an interim basis.
The club will make an announcement on the appointment of a new head coach in due course.
The Lion City Sailors’ Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup Asean Zone Group Stage matches have been rescheduled.
Originally slated to be played from June 22 to 28, the Sailors’ Group H fixtures will now be held from June 29 to July 5.
The exact date of the Group H matches, which will see the Sailors take on Vietnam’s Saigon FC, Malaysia outfit Kedah Darul Aman, and the winner of the Asean Zone play-offs 3.2, has yet to be fixed.
In a statement posted on the AFC website, the continental body said: “The decision to reschedule the ASEAN Zone was taken after the confirmation of the new match schedule for the AFC Champions League (East) Playoff matches, which are now planned for June 22, 2021 and, depending on the outcome of the Preliminary Stage matches, may include the participation of teams from the ASEAN Zone.”
The Sailors’ Group H games are still scheduled to be played in Singapore.
Barely a week after witnessing Gabriel Quak score a goal that was deemed worthy of being nominated for the Puskas award, Lion City Sailors midfielder Diego Lopes submitted an entry of his own with an equally stunning strike against Hougang United last evening.
Receiving the ball at the edge of the box from a Faris Ramli throw-in, Diego swivelled and volleyed a shot with his right foot that seemingly defied the laws of physics, as it curled outwards and dipped into the top corner of the net.
🤯 𝗗𝗜𝗘𝙂𝙊-𝙇𝘼𝙕𝙊 ‼️
What have you done, Diego Lopes?! 💣 A 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔 hit from the @lioncitysailors star last night! #SPL #GameOn
cc: @FIFAcom Puskas Award panel pic.twitter.com/F4IqKzd3gg
— Singapore Premier League (@SGPremierLeague) April 25, 2021
It was a goal that left the crowd at the Hougang Stadium in stunned silence for a moment. But a collective gasp of wonderment soon followed once fans finally processed the moment of magic they had just witnessed.
The 69th minute goal, which was reminiscent of Papiss Cisse’s wonder strike for Newcastle United against Chelsea in 2012, was enough for the Sailors to clinch all three points as Aurelio Vidmar’s men ran out 1-0 winners over the Cheetahs.
That such a magnificent goal proved to be the winner was apt – against a tight and compact Hougang side, the Sailors had struggled to create clear-cut chances against the home team all throughout the game.
It needed something special to break down the stubborn Hougang defence. And Diego was more than happy to provide it.
Reflecting on Diego’s wonder goal, Sailors captain Hassan Sunny praised the Brazilian for stepping up to the plate when it mattered.
Said Hassan: “It was a very good goal. With the quality that he has, he is always capable of scoring these kinds of goals, so you know it’s not a fluke.
“The whole team knows how important it is that Diego plays at his best, because he can win games for the team. This goal against Hougang showed us just why he is worth so much.”
Last night’s victory over Hougang was especially significant for the Sailors, given that they had lost 1-3 to the same opponents at the Jalan Besar Stadium a month ago.
While underlining the importance of getting one over Hougang – who had started the match level on points with the Sailors – Hassan also highlighted that defensive solidity played a huge role in the victory.
“It’s a massive three points,” Hassan, who made several fine stops to keep a clean sheet last evening, declared. “And it is always tough to play Hougang at their home ground. They were very compact and defensively solid, so we had to be very patient with our attacks.
“We have also improved defensively in the last few games. But it’s not just the backline that deserves praise. The entire team did their part to defend last night, starting from Stipe (Plazibat) and Diego, so it was hard for Hougang to break us down too.
“So, while we lost to Hougang back in the first round when we were not at our best, I’m very happy that we managed to get the win over them this time.”
With the victory, the Sailors moved to the top of the table for at least 24 hours – Albirex Niigata who are also on 17 points, but with a game in hand, take on Balestier Khalsa on Sunday evening. The Sailors’ next match, in two weeks’ time on May 9, at the Jalan Besar Stadium, will see them take on Geylang International.
While the Sailors could be bumped back down to second by the time they face Geylang, Hassan believes the team can draw confidence from the fact that they had reached the summit.
“I think we deserve to be at the top with the way we have been playing, and the form we are in,” Hassan explained. “Having reached the top will definitely give us more confidence going into our next game.
“For now, though, it’s a good break for us, so we can continue to work more in training on the areas that we need to improve on.”
Welcome back, Sailors fans
Up to 250 fans will be able to watch Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches live from April 24 without the need for any Covid-19 test, in accordance with guidelines set out by Singapore’s multi-ministry taskforce.
The Lion City Sailors are set to visit Hougang United on the day these measures come into force, and Sailors CEO Chew Chun-Liang is excited at the prospect of playing in front of fans once again saying, “Football is about fans and we cannot say enough about how excited we are to be able to play in front of our fans once more. We cannot wait for Saturday and we must commend the Football Association of Singapore and Sport Singapore for their hard work to allow this to happen.”
A total of 50 complimentary tickets will be available for Sailors fans on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to 2020 and 2021 LCS season pass holders. Holders of the 2020 and 2021 season pass can redeem one ticket per pass from the Lion City Sailors representative at the ticket counter of Hougang Stadium from 6.30pm on matchday.
Should there be unredeemed tickets, non-season pass holding Sailors fans may obtain their tickets from 8pm onwards, subject to availability.
Fans will also be subject to safe distancing measures at all match venues, and are encouraged to arrive early to avoid congestion. They will also have to adhere to guidelines set out in the advisory by Sport Singapore on Safe Resumption of Sport & Physical Exercise For Phase Three.
All SPL matches will still be live streamed on the league’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel, as well as on 1 Play Sports’ Facebook page.
Ticketing details for the Sailors’ home game against Geylang International on May 9 will be released soon.
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