Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 29 April 1991 (33)

Previous Clubs: Geylang International (2014-2019), Hougang United (2020-2022)

A rare talent who was nurtured in and plucked from Singapore’s amateur leagues, Shawal’s stock has risen in recent years – and sharply so.

Shawal is undoubtedly one of Singapore’s top forwards at the moment. In 2022 he combined flair with trickery and a keen eye for goal, scoring a career-high 11 Singapore Premier League goals to inspire Hougang United to their first-ever trophy last season – the Singapore Cup.

That earned him the big move to the Sailors in 2023 and he played a crucial part in the Sailors’ first-ever Singapore Cup triumph, scoring six times – including a match-clinching strike in the final against his former employers to help the club finish the year with silverware.