Player Type: FORWARDS

Ilhan

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 8 November 2002 (24)

Previous Clubs: Young Lions (2019-2022), Albirex Niigata (S) (2022), KMSK Deinze (2023-2024), BG Pathum United (2024-2026), Buriram United (loan – 2025-2026)

One of Singapore’s brightest footballing talents, Ilhan returned home to sign for the Sailors in the off-season after valuable spells in Belgium and Thailand.

He signed for Belgian second-tier side KMSK Deinze in December 2022, before joining BG Pathum United in July 2024. His impressive performances saw him named Young Player of the Tournament in the 2024/25 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, before he spent last season on loan with Buriram United.

The move marks a homecoming for the third son of Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad, as Ilhan returns to the league where he first announced himself. He was named Singapore Premier League (SPL) Young Player of the Year in 2022 after scoring 17 goals to finish as the league’s top local scorer and help Albirex Niigata (S) lift the league title, earning his move overseas soon after.

He as also underlined his growing stature on the international stage. In Singapore’s decisive AFC Asian Cup qualifier away to Hong Kong in November 2025, he came off the bench with the Lions trailing 1-0 to set up Shawal Anuar’s equaliser, before unleashing a stunning long-range winner to seal a famous comeback and send Singapore to the Asian Cup on merit for the first time.

Known for his intelligent movement, technical quality, and ability to combine with those around him, Ilhan offers far more than goals alone. Comfortable operating across the frontline, he links play effectively, creates chances for teammates, and possesses the composure to make a difference in decisive moments.

Antonio

Nationality: Croatian

DOB/Age: 7 August 1995 (31)

Previous Clubs: Istra 1961 (2012-2015), Pomorac Kostrena (loan – 2012-2013), NK Domžale (2015-2017), AS Trenčín (2017-2019), FC Nantes (loan – 2019), NK Osijek (2019-2023), Puskás Akadémia (loan – 2020-2021), Erzgebirge Aue (loan – 2021-2022), Debrecen (2023), Zalaegerszeg (2023-2024), Umm Salal (2024-2026)

An all-round centre-forward who can shoot with either foot and has the ability to bring teammates into play, the 1.90m Antonio will add further firepower to the Sailors’ frontline after arriving at the club in the off-season.

Antonio comes with a wealth of international experience, having built an extensive career across seven countries — Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, France, Hungary, Germany and Qatar — and tested himself in a variety of competitive environments. His résumé includes appearances in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga, France’s Ligue 1 and the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds.

At international level, Antonio has represented Croatia at both Under-19 and Under-20 level.

Notably, he scored eight goals in 19 UEFA Europa League qualifying appearances for three different clubs between 2016 and 2019. These included a remarkable four-goal haul across two legs against Dutch giants Feyenoord, which helped Slovak side AS Trenčín secure a shock 5-1 aggregate victory in the third qualifying round in August 2018.

Antonio subsequently earned a move to French top-flight side FC Nantes the following January, before joining Hungarian side Zalaegerszeg for the 2023/24 season, where he recorded 15 goals and eight assists in 29 appearances to finish as the league’s second-highest scorer.

Antonio spent the past two seasons in Qatar with Umm Salal SC, where he continued to demonstrate his goalscoring qualities by contributing 26 goals and nine assists across 53 appearances.

Raeka

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 16 September 2003 (23)

Previous Club: Mattar Sailors

A former competitive netballer, Raeka made the switch to football at 19 years old when she joined the Mattar Sailors.

She enjoyed an impressive debut season in the WNL, before being promoted to the Sailors’ WPL team in 2024. A hardworking striker who is clinical in front of goal, Raeka, who counts Wayne Rooney as her role model, can be relied upon to do it all — from defending and creating to scoring — for the team.

 

 

Lennart

Nationality: German

DOB/Age: 25 February 1992 (34)

Previous Clubs: Werder Bremen (2010-2012, 2016-2018), FC St. Pauli (2012-2016, loan – 2017), VVV-Venlo (loan – 2017-2018), BB Erzurumspor (2018), PEC Zwolle (2019-2020, 2022-2024), Sparta Rotterdam (2020-2022)

Known for his astute positioning and relentless pressing, Lennart has been a prolific success since arriving at the Sailors in May 2024. His record of 56 goals over the past two seasons meant he is already the club’s second-highest scorer of all-time and he will look to deliver even more in the 2026/27 season.

The German possesses genuine European pedigree, with over 200 appearances in Dutch football, including 173 in the top-tier Eredivisie.

His goal-scoring prowess was already evident through his tally of 54 goals across three different clubs – PEC Zwolle, VVV-Venlo, and Sparta Rotterdam – from 2017 to 2024. Lennart, who has also represented Germany at the Under-20 level, previously played in the top two German divisions before making the move to the Netherlands in 2017.

His most storied and unique achievements was winning the 2018 FIFA Fair Play Award. He received the accolade after making a blood donation to facilitate a stem cell transplant for a leukaemia patient, missing a game for VVV-Venlo against PSV Eindhoven in the process. The selfless act garnered widespread praise, and prompted a surge in donors stepping forward to contribute in the Netherlands.

Abdul Rasaq

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 16 June 2001 (24)

Previous Clubs: Young Lions (2019-2022)

A burly forward with outstanding strength and a powerful shot in his armoury, Rasaq is one of the best young local strikers in the country at the moment and is determined to kick on this campaign.

He has shown potential from a young age, representing Singapore at various youth levels and scoring in his first year as a full-fledged professional in 2019 before impressing with the Young Lions in 2022. That earned him the move to the Sailors, where he enjoyed a spectacular first season with the Sailors – scoring a career-high 10 goals to finish as the SPL’s joint-top local scorer along with teammate Shawal Anuar in 2023.

Injury slightly curtained his progress last year, but Rasaq has shown the mental fortitude to bounce back from setbacks. An impressive loan spell at Albirex Niigata (S) for the second half of last season saw him rediscover his goalscoring instincts and that will stand him in good stead in 2026/27.

Shawal

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 29 April 1991 (35)

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 rise has been well documented in recent years and the proverbial late bloomer is not ready to stop just yet.

A nippy forward with an uncanny eye for goal, he has contributed much to the Sailors’ rise since joining in 2023 – on the back of a brilliant 2022 season where he inspired Hougang United to win their first-ever trophy in the Singapore Cup.

He enjoyed a remarkable 2024/25 campaign with the club, scoring a career-high 27 goals – including eight strikes in the AFC Champions League Two which meant he finished the tournament’s second-highest goalscorer. No local players have scored more in the SPL in the past two seasons, and Shawal is ready to plunder more in 2026/27.