An intriguing Causeway battle awaits on Thursday night (9 January) as the Lion City Sailors host Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur (KL) City in a Matchday Three Group B clash of the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.
Going up against Group A’s joint-top leaders
KL City pose a serious challenge, given their strong performances in the competition so far. They are one of only two teams, along with group leaders Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC, to maintain a 100% record after the first two matchdays.
Back-to-back 1-0 wins over the Philippines’ Kaya FC–Iloilo and Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda at home have put them in a strong position — second in the five-team table — and they will be looking to continue that momentum against the Sailors.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, KL City Head Coach Miroslav Kuljanac acknowledged the threat that the Sailors pose.
“I’ve analysed the Sailors and the way they play — they don’t change their style much, and I’m sure they’ll approach this game the same way and attack us in the same manner as they usually do,” said the 54-year-old Croatian, who has guided his side to 10 wins and two draws in 22 games across all competitions since taking charge in March 2024.
Some key absentees but a key threat remains
KL City’s bid for a third consecutive win is slightly hampered by the absence of two key players. In an interview with Malaysian television station Astro Arena last week, head coach Kuljanac revealed that experienced midfielder Brendan Gan and Bosnian winger Jovan Motika will miss out due to injury and family commitments, respectively.
Nonetheless, the City Boys can rely on a strong lineup, including Malaysian trio Paulo Josué, Haqimi Azim Rosli, and Declan Lambert, as well as veteran Philippines forward Patrick Reichelt, who returned unscathed from international duty at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric (ME) Cup.
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“It won’t be easy without them (Gan and Motika),” Kuljanac admitted. “When we’re at full strength, I would say we’re a very dangerous team. But even though they’re not with us, we’ll do our best.
“The substitutes are ready to prove themselves, and I hope the players who step in are 100% ready to fight for new points. We have a lot of good players, and we are a well-structured team. Every minute, our players know exactly what they want to do, and so we’ll see how it plays out.”
Josué, in particular, could pose a significant threat to the Sailors, having scored 11 goals in 13 Malaysia Super League (MSL) matches this season, making him the second-highest scorer in the league, behind Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Bérgson da Silva.
“We played two games at home and managed to get six points,” said the Brazil-born Malaysian international, who faced several Sailors during the Tigers’ 0-0 draw with Singapore three weeks ago — a result that saw Malaysia bow out of the ME Cup in the group stages.
“Now it’s time to play away. It’s a different environment, a different pitch, and strong opponents make it very tough for us, but we hope to collect some points here and stay alive in the race to qualify for the semi-finals. When we come here, it’s always just one game — anything can happen. We could beat them here, or they could beat us there. We have tough teams in the group, and that’s great. It’s great to be part of this and to be involved in such a tournament.”
Sailors looking for a first win
For the Sailors, a historic end to 2024 — becoming the first Singaporean team to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two — has fuelled their ambitions and strengthened their belief as they look to turn things around in the Shopee Cup.
The seven players who represented Singapore at the ME Cup have returned to training this week after a week’s break, providing the Sailors with a boost in their continental aspirations as they look to represent Singapore with pride in this competition.
After back-to-back away defeats to Borneo and CAHN FC, the Sailors are determined to secure their first win in the competition, and belief within the camp remains strong as they seek a much-needed lift-off.
“The first two matches didn’t go the way we wanted. In the first match, I’d say we were a bit unlucky. But both games were played away, and this is a new competition for us — we’re still settling in. Tomorrow, we play at home, and it’s a great chance to get our first points,” said Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković.
“It’s our first game after a short break, and we’re going straight up against very good opponents who already have six points in the group, so they’ve proved their quality. But we’ve prepared well. All the players are back from the national team, and apart from one or two who can’t play, there are no major injuries. We’re ready to prove something in this competition.”
As the Sailors prepare for their first home game in this competition, midfielder Rui Pires hopes the fans will turn out in force to support the team.
“When the stadium is full, it helps us a lot,” said Pires, who returns to the squad after serving a one-match ban against CAHN last September. “I hope the fans come tomorrow to support us because their presence is very important.
“As I’ve said before, we need to win these three points because if we don’t, we’ll be out of this competition. We know how crucial this game is, and we’ll do everything to secure the three points.”
