Player Type: DEFENDERS

Diogo

Nationality: Portuguese

DOB/Age: 27 July 2003 (23)

Previous Clubs: F.C. Famalicão (2021-2025)

A modern-day full-back with lightning speed, aggression, and impressive dead-ball abilities, Diogo has emerged as one of the fans’ favourite after an impressive initial loan spell in the second half of the 2024/25 season in which he recorded 11 assists and a goal in 21 appearances across all competitions.

Diogo progressed through the ranks to represent his boyhood club Famalicão in the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, and Under-23 national competitions, captaining nearly every age group he has played in.

Having signed a permanent five-year contract in the off-season, Diogo is keen to carry where he left off and continue to play a integral role in the Sailors’ journey.

Tyan

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 19 April 2009 (17)

Previous Club: Mattar Sailors

Coming through the Sailors’ Girls Academy youth pipeline since she was ten, Tyan played a vital role in the Mattar Sailors’ 2023 WNL run, where they finished as first runners-up. She has since been promoted to the WPL team in 2024.

Despite her youth, Tyan has established herself as an integral presence in the Sailors’ backline, and is known for her speed and aggression. She looks up to the senior centre-backs in the team such as Umairah Hamdan and Syazwan Ruzi, and hopes to learn as much from them as possible.

Toni

Nationality: Croatian

DOB/Age: 6 November 1993 (33)

Previous Clubs: SD Huesca (2019-2020 – loan), Aris Thessaloniki (2020-21), FC Cartagena (2021 – loan, 2022-23), Real Salt Lake (2021), Albacete Balompié (2023-2024)

The nickname El Sicario – a Spanish term that translates to “The Hitman” in English – says it all about Toni, who takes no prisoners with his no-holds barred playing style at the heart of defence.

He brings significant experience from the Spanish second-tier, having amassed a century of appearances in LaLiga 2. The majority of these came in FC Cartagena colours, while he was also part of SD Huesca’s 2019/20 title-winning side that earned promotion to LaLiga the following season.

In a storied playing career to date, Toni has also played in top-tier competitions such as USA’s Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake and the UEFA Europa League with Greek club Aris Thessaloniki, in addition to being capped once at the international level with Croatia.

Strong in the air and equally comfortable playing the ball out of defence, Toni enjoyed a dream first season with the Sailors in 2024/25 – making 52 appearances and was deservedly named in the AIA SPL Team of the Year.

Tia

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 31 July 2007 (18)

Previous Club: Mattar Sailors

Tia started playing football when she was in primary Three and fell in love with the Beautiful Game, hooked on the thrills of defending against opposition forwards. She is the second of three sisters who are all part of Lion City Sailors Girls’ Academy.

Mainly deployed as a right-back, Tia is blessed with skill, pace and is aggressive when it comes to defending 1v1 situations and committing to challenges.

Inspired by French footballer Sakina Karchoui, Tia wants to improve her game and play at a higher level in the future.

Bailey

Nationality: Australian

DOB/Age: 28 July 1992 (33)

Previous Clubs: Preston North End (2010-2017), Bristol City (2017-2020), Sunderland (2020 – loan, 2020-2023), Rotherham United (2023 – loan)

Bailey is an Australian international, who was a part of Australia’s 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar that saw the Socceroos qualify from a group that featured France, Denmark and Tunisia, before falling to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the eventual tournament winners, in the Round of 16.

An old-school robust centre-back who wears on his heart on his sleeve, he is undoubtedly one of the leading figures of the team and is a perfect role model for the younger players in the squad.

Bailey joined the Sailors in the SPL mid-season transfer window after departing Sunderland, where he was a cult hero of the Black Cats’ faithful during his three-and-a-half years on Wearside. Those years saw Sunderland enjoy much success, winning their first trophy since 1973 as they lifted the 2020/21 Papa John’s Trophy (EFL) at Wembley, before earning promotion into the English second-tier – the Sky Bet Championship – in 2022.

Bailey enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 campaign with the Sailors, with his rock-solid performances earning him a deserved nomination for the AIA SPL Player of the Year award.

Khairunnisa

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 21 February 2003 (23)

Previous Clubs: South Avenue SC

Playing at the void deck with her brothers at the age of nine sparked Khairunnisa’s love for football, and she went on to represent Singapore at various age-group levels, and eventually earned a call up to the senior National Team.

She may be tiny in size, but she more than makes it up with her heart and grit on the pitch. An adept reader of the game, she executes her tackles both aggressively and effectively on the right side of defence.

As someone who juggles her school commitments and part-time work with football, Nisa is hoping that her sacrifices and perseverance pay off as she continues to cement herself as a first-team regular for club and country.

Syazwani

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 20 December 2001 (25)

Previous Clubs: Aerion FC

Having finished top scorer with eight Pannas to help the Sailors win the inaugural FAS Women’s Panna Challenge in 2020, Syazwani is blessed with skill and ball control. But playing as a defender, she has since worked on adding a touch of steel to her game by becoming more aggressive in 1v1 situations and committing to challenges.

Inspired by her football-loving dad, Syazwani picked up the sport at the age of five and honed her skills at Admiralty CSC. Syazwani simply cannot live without football – she is often found either kicking the ball in her home or just juggling whenever she has some free time.

Umairah

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 11 March 2002 (24)

Previous Club: South Avenue CSC

Sporting a scar on her forehead due to an old head injury, Umairah’s commitment and love for the Beautiful Game is clear – and she is determined to lead the Sailors Women to a third consecutive WPL title after being appointed as team captain at the start of 2024.

A no-nonsense centre-back who wears her heart on her sleeve, the youngster models her game after Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and is inspired to lead her team in a similar fashion.

Picking up the game at the age of five when she joined her brothers in a small community football club, Umairah never looked back, going on to play for her primary and secondary schools.

Her recipe for success is calming herself down with deep breathing and visualising how she plays in the dressing room before the game begins.