The Lion City Sailors are pleased to announce the signing of towering Croatian forward Antonio Mance on a two-year contract as they strengthen their attacking ranks ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Standing at 1.90m, the 30-year-old adds a commanding physical presence to the Sailors’ frontline, along with sharp goalscoring instincts and the ability to hold up the ball and bring teammates into play.
Antonio arrives 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.
An adaptable individual with considerable experience of playing abroad, Antonio is excited to begin the latest chapter of his career in Singapore, and hopes to make his experience count for the Sailors.
“I’m very happy to join Lion City Sailors and be part of this ambitious project,” he said. “I’ve played in many countries and leagues, so I’m looking forward to bringing my experience here, helping the team, and adding positive energy to the dressing room.
“Most importantly, I want to score goals, contribute to the team’s success and make our fans happy. I know this club has ambitions to achieve something big in the AFC Champions League Two, and I’m excited to help the team push towards that objective.”
Sailors Head Coach Jesús Casas welcomed Mance’s arrival, and highlighted the qualities the Croatian will bring to the side.
“Antonio is a complete centre-forward; he’s two-footed and very strong in the air,” said the Spaniard. “His physical attributes, excellent movement inside the box and ability to link up with his teammates will be key to the style of play we want to develop.”
Jesús also emphasised the value of assembling a competitive and complementary group of forwards as the Sailors prepare to challenge on multiple fronts.
“Next season we’ll be facing different types of opponents and defensive systems in the ACL Two and the Shopee Cup, so having depth in this area will provide us with a range of options in key matches,” he said.
“What’s more, we have different types of forwards who can complement each other. Competition will also be fierce for places in every position, and that will drive us to improve.”
