The Lion City Sailors return to continental action this Thursday (23 October), as they travel to Thailand to face Bangkok United in their third Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two Group G fixture.

The Sailors — last season’s ACL Two finalists — currently sit top of the group after a 4-2 victory over Selangor FC at the Bishan Stadium earlier this month.

“It wasn’t an easy match because we started well, went ahead, and then had to stop for an hour because of lightning,” recalled Sailors captain Hariss Harun. “Such disruptions can make you lose a bit of that focus, and you start wondering if the game will even continue.”

Despite having fewer shots on target and less possession, Aleksandar Ranković’s men delivered a composed performance as a whole to secure three vital points.

Hariss, who played the full 90 minutes, credited the team’s focus and collective effort in getting over the line.

“Towards the end, it got tough because they came at us, and we could’ve managed the ball better to prevent that,” admitted Hariss. “But credit to everyone, we stayed focused till the end. Overall, it was a strong performance and, most importantly, we got the result we needed.”

Anderson Lopes in the spotlight 

But it was Anderson Lopes who shone brightest against Selangor, as the Brazilian forward struck all four goals against Selangor.

Signed from Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos, Anderson showcased his pedigree on the continental stage and what he is truly capable of in a Sailors shirt.

“Anderson is a quality addition. He’s got a big reputation in Asia, and a lot of players and teams know what he did in Japan,” said Hariss of his teammate, who netted his first hat-trick in AFC competitions. “To have him with us is a huge plus, especially in this competition. His experience and know-how are invaluable.

“I’m really happy for him. He needed a bit of time to get into his rhythm, but now we’re starting to see what he is truly capable of. Those four goals would give any striker a massive confidence boost, and he’s buzzing right now.”

With Anderson in red-hot form, the Sailors will head into their clash with Bangkok United brimming with confidence after three straight wins in all competitions.

A familiar adversary

Bangkok United are no strangers to the Sailors, with the two teams facing each other twice in the 2023/2024 ACL group stage. Both matches ultimately ended in narrow defeats for the Sailors (1-2 at home and 0-1 away).

“Bangkok United are definitely one of the top teams in Thailand,” said Hariss. “Every time we’ve played them, it’s been tough. But we love competing on this stage, and hopefully this time we’ll get a result.

“They’ve got quality attacking players and are solid defensively too. Their 2-0 home loss to Persib Bandung (on Matchday Two) was surprising, but we’re not reading too much into that. Our focus is entirely on ourselves and what we need to do.”

Since Bangkok United’s defeat to Persib, they have responded with a 3-1 win over Nakhon Ratchasima and a goalless draw away to Muangthong United in the Thai League 1.

Friends turned rivals

Bangkok’s squad features several familiar faces, including former Sailors forward Richairo Živković, who scored 15 goals in 19 appearances for the club in 2023 before leaving for the Thai side the following year. His memorable brace against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors remains one of the standout moments of the Sailors’ continental campaign that year.

“Richi dropped by to see some of the boys during our pre-season in Bangkok, and it was nice catching up with him,” said Hariss. “He gave us a lot when he was with us, and we know the quality he brings. We’ll definitely need to be wary of him.”

Another familiar face awaits in Kyoga Nakamura, who joined Bangkok United this season after five years with BG Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Premier League (SPL). The Singapore international also started both recent national team qualifiers against India alongside Hariss.

“We were fully focused on those India matches because they were crucial for us, and so we didn’t really talk about this match,” Hariss said with a wry smile. 

“But of course, we know what Kyoga brings. Having faced him many times in the SPL, we know his quality. We have a lot of respect for Bangkok United overall, but we’ve got the players to deal with their threats.”

Photo: 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

Carrying on momentum from the National Team

Hariss and his international teammates return to club duty buoyed by Singapore’s impressive 2-1 win over India, where Song Uiyoung bagged both goals.

Now, the Sailors skipper is eyeing another crucial away victory, this time to take control of Group G. Coincidentally, the Sailors’ last continental away win also came in Thailand, against Muangthong United in last season’s ACL Two Round of 16.

“When you win big, crucial games, it gives you that feel-good factor. We want to carry that momentum back to the club,” said Hariss.

“We’ve shown collective effort all along. That’s what took us to the final last season. So we’ll focus on ourselves, stay organised, and look to take our chances while keeping things tight at the back.”