On a cold night ten years ago at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, current Lion City Sailors captain Hariss Harun savoured one of the sweetest moments of his 17-year career.
Then turning out for Malaysian powerhouses Johor Darul Ta’zim, Hariss played the full 90 minutes of the 2015 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup final – the predecessor of today’s AFC Champions League (ACL) Two – as his side edged FC Istiklol 1-0 on their home turf to become the first Southeast Asian team to lift the second-tier Asian club title.
“Given the circumstances, lifting that trophy is definitely up there among the highs of my career,” recounted Hariss, who became the first Singaporean to win the competition. “We had to contend with the cold and a hostile home crowd, but I focused on keeping my head in the game. We won by the slimmest of margins, and to this day, the joy and satisfaction of making history for the club remains etched in my memory.”
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Exactly a decade on from that triumph, Hariss now stands on the brink of another historic milestone. Having captained the Sailors to the final of the 2024/25 edition of the ACL Two, the 34-year-old is set to contest the prestigious trophy once again – this time on home soil, against UAE’s Sharjah FC on 18 May, in what is widely regarded as the biggest match in the Sailors’ five-year history.
For Hariss, this campaign has been a testament to the grit and belief that runs deep within the Sailors squad — qualities that have powered the team’s remarkable run.
“We’re amazed at the journey we’ve been on…not many expected us to make it this far,” Hariss candidly admitted. “But we took things one game at a time and never got ahead of ourselves.
“That said, we’re not dwelling on what we’ve achieved. There’s still a job to be done. Just like all those years ago, there’s a strong determination in me to make history again. It would be a massive boost for Singapore football — and we all want to be part of that moment.”
It has been a roller-coaster ACL Two campaign for the Sailors, marked by thrilling highs and testing lows. It all began in August 2024, when they were drawn into a daunting Group F alongside 2023 Chinese Super League second runners-up Zhejiang Professional, Thai League 1’s third-placed Port FC, and reigning Indonesia Liga 1 champions Persib Bandung.
So, right from the outset, the Sailors knew they were in for a fierce battle to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Far from being intimidated, however, the Sailors responded with grit and resilience — qualities that would come to define their campaign. And few embodied that steely resolve more than Croatian defender Toni Datković. Since joining from Spanish side Albacete Balompié in February 2024, the 30-year-old has become a mainstay in Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković’s setup, playing every single minute of the Sailors’ ACL Two journey thus far.
“The second I stepped onto the pitch in this campaign, I felt motivated,” shared Toni. “As underdogs, nothing came easy, but we never stopped fighting. Every sweet and bitter moment over the past few months has led us here — now we’re on the big stage.”
The Sailors kicked off their campaign in style in front of a raucous Jalan Besar crowd, as they secured a 2-0 win over Zhejiang thanks to stunning goals from Hariss and Maxime Lestienne.
“The first game is always the most important as it sets the tone for the whole campaign,” said Hariss. “We knew that representing Singapore on this stage came with pressure, so that win meant a lot. I don’t score many goals, so I was really pleased to chip in and help the team.”
They continued their strong start with a gritty 1-1 draw away at Persib, followed by a convincing 3-1 win at Port — racking up seven points from a possible nine. But the group stage would soon take a dramatic turn.
Midway through, the Sailors surrendered back-to-back two-goal leads — first falling 3-2 to Persib at home, then suffering a 4-2 loss away to Zhejiang — defeats that threatened to derail their hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds.
“Those games were really tough,” recalled Toni. “We were 2-0 up against Persib with just minutes left, and somehow ended up losing. I remember standing on the pitch, asking myself over and over again how that even happened. Losing that and then the game against Zhejiang… those were bitter pills to swallow.”
As the Sailors struggled to close out games, Hariss — nursing a persistent heel injury — could only watch helplessly from the sidelines. After that opening win against Zhejiang, the 34-year-old was limited to just 58 minutes of action in the group stage, with his leadership sorely missed on the pitch.
“It was a very frustrating period for me — there was a lot of pain in my heel,” said Hariss. “Not being able to help the team out there was tough, but I had to stay patient and believe I would come back stronger. Credit to the boys — even with the setbacks, they regrouped and stayed united.”
Heading into the final group game against Port, the Sailors knew their fate was in their own hands: after all, a win would secure top spot in the group and a place in the knockouts. And they looked on course after storming to a 2-0 lead early on.
But just like previous matches, Port clawed their way back to level at 2-2 by the hour mark — and it looked as though the Sailors might be on the verge of another painful slip-up. This time, though, Ranko’s men held their nerve and stayed focused on getting the win.
“There was something different in us during this game,” said Toni. “Even after they came back, we still believed we could turn it around. Everything was still in our hands, so we put the mistakes behind us and gave everything for the rest of the match.”
With tensions rising and the game finely poised, Song Uiyoung delivered arguably the biggest moment of his career — rifling a bicycle kick into the top corner in the 67th minute to restore the Sailors’ lead. The goal sent the Jalan Besar crowd into raptures, with a deafening roar echoing through all four corners of the stadium, energising every player on the pitch.
“There was still some time left after Song scored that amazing goal, but the game felt won — we just knew we could see it through,” said Toni. “The atmosphere was incredible. Being so close to the fans gave us that extra 10% on top of the 100% we were already giving.”
The Sailors went on to exorcise the ghosts of their earlier group-stage collapses, as they put five past Port to secure top spot and advance to the Round of 16.
From there, the challenges only got tougher. In the knockout stages, the Sailors had to navigate past established sides like Thailand’s Muangthong United, Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and Australia’s Sydney FC — but time and again, they rose to the occasion.
That stroke of luck came in the form of an administrative oversight by Sanfrecce, who fielded an ineligible player in the first leg — a game they had initially won 6-1. The result was later overturned and replaced with a 3-0 awarded win to the Sailors.
It proved to be the perfect springboard for the Singapore outfit. A composed 1-1 draw at home in the return leg was enough to send the Sailors through to the semi-finals, where they faced Sydney FC. Once again, Ranko’s charges rose to the occasion — surviving a nervy 90 minutes in the away leg to progress to the final with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Looking back on the team’s fairytale run, Hariss credited their success to the unity and collective spirit that runs through the squad.
“We’re blessed with a good mix of quality players and leaders, but the truth is no individual can carry us through the season alone,” he said. “Of course, players like Maxime and Shawal can make a difference, but this is a team sport. From the goalkeepers to the strikers, everyone is just as important.
“Credit must go to the whole group, because everyone stepped up when it mattered most. We all had a part to play in this.”
Having suffered group-stage exits in the previous two continental campaigns, those setbacks have only fuelled the Sailors’ determination to come back stronger. As one of the few players to have been through every step of that journey, Hariss believes those disappointments have forged a deeper hunger and unity within the squad — qualities now driving their success this season.
“We’ve been in promising positions both domestically and on the continental stage in recent years, but we never quite managed to make them count,” reflected Hariss. “That said, those experiences were invaluable. They’ve helped us grow — not just as individual players, but as a team, on and off the field.
“Our progress this season speaks for itself, but now it’s about putting on a performance in the final and finishing the job.”
For Toni, even after playing hundreds of games in top competitions like LaLiga 2 and earning caps for the Croatian national team, he believes that — given the journey he and the Sailors have been on — the upcoming ACL Two final is undoubtedly the biggest match of his career.
“Winning the ACL Two would be the biggest triumph of my career so far,” said Toni. “This team is special. I’ve been at many clubs, but none have had the same brotherhood and togetherness that I’ve found here at the Sailors.”
“Everyone’s talking about the final and trying to get tickets — it shows how much Singaporean football needs this success. This Sunday will feel like a National Day for everyone who loves the game here. And hopefully, by the end of it, we’ll be celebrating with the whole of Singapore.”
