With experience in France’s Ligue 1 and the Swiss Super League, Matthias Phaëton arrived at the Lion City Sailors with high expectations of what he could bring to their attack.
And the winger offered early glimpses of his quality, providing an assist on his Singapore Premier League (SPL) debut and posing a constant threat down the flanks. But it was against Young Lions on Sunday (11 October) that he truly made his mark, as he scored twice and set up two more goals in an emphatic 6-1 victory.
With his first goals for the club under his belt, the 26-year-old is eager to carry that form into the Sailors’ AFC Champions League (ACL) Two clash against Tai Po FC in Hong Kong on Thursday (15 October).
“The win was the most important thing for us, so I’m really happy for the team. I’m a competitor, and I like to score goals and provide assists,” said Matthias. “But the team always comes first. What I do on the pitch has to directly help the team and I’m hungry to contribute more in the coming matches.”
Matthias’s link-up with Ilhan Fandi offered another encouraging sign for the Sailors, with the pair setting up a goal for each other after the Singapore forward came off the bench.
For Matthias, that understanding reflects the bonds developing within the squad as he settles into life at the club.
“Playing alongside both the foreign and local players has been really good. The culture is new to me, but the team spirit is already very strong,” he said.
“I always make it an effort to talk to the local players to learn more about them, and I have a good relationship with many of the players in the squad. We’ll continue to grow closer as a team.”
The Sailors will look to build on that momentum when they travel to Hong Kong for their first meeting with Tai Po in their second Group F fixture.
Tai Po sit fifth in the Hong Kong Premier League with two wins from their opening five matches, and began their ACL Two campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Adelaide United.
The Sailors, meanwhile, are seeking their first continental win of the season after being held to a 1-1 draw by BG Pathum United at home.
“We want to win. As the club has made clear, we want to challenge on all fronts, both locally and regionally. To achieve that, we have to win as many games as possible,” said Matthias.
“We could only manage a draw in our first game, but that gives us even more motivation to perform well in our next match.
“The ACL Two is a tough competition, and every team is capable of posing a challenge. But this is where we want to be competing and we want to achieve something big in this competition. We are the Sailors, and as long as we’re well prepared and stay focused, we have what it takes to get all three points on Thursday.”
Matthias’s growing confidence on the pitch has been matched by how comfortable he feels off it, with the Guadeloupe international embracing the opportunity to explore Singapore with his family.
“Singapore is very different, especially when it comes to the weather. But I feel really good here, and the many nice people I’ve met have made it easy for me to adapt. I’m sure things will only get better as time goes on,” he said.
“My family is happy here too. Off the pitch, we enjoy visiting places like Sentosa, Night Safari and East Coast Park. The food is quite similar to what we have in Guadeloupe and Martinique, and I especially enjoy the spicy dishes.”
And as the Sailors prepare for their first away assignment in this season’s ACL Two, Matthias hopes the fans will help drive the team towards another positive result.
“The passion for football here has exceeded my expectations. The fans push us in every game, so we hope you’ll join us in Hong Kong,” he said.
“We need your support, and together, we’ll give everything we have to get the result and make Singapore football proud.”
