The Lion City Sailors are determined to bounce back from Thursday’s (18 July) disappointing defeat to BG Tampines Rovers – their first loss of the 2024/25 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season – when they face the Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Monday (22 July) night.
Having ceded top spot to the Stags, the Sailors know just how important it is to secure all three points against the Young Lions in order to keep pace with Gavin Lee’s side in the title race.
To do that, Sailors custodian Zharfan Rohaizad has urged the team to quickly move past the loss to BG Tampines and focus on the task at hand: beating the Young Lions.
“We’d like to say sorry to the fans that they have to endure such a tough night (against BG Tampines) and we as a team acknowledge that we can and should do better as a team. We just have to put this result out of our system as there’s still a long way to go for this season.
“The key for us is to keep moving forward and prepare for what’s coming next. We have to bounce back on Monday with a statement (victory),” Zharfan declared.
While the Sailors will be hoping to put Thursday’s events behind them, it was still a momentous occasion for Rui Pires, as he finally made his SPL debut for the club after recovering from an injury setback in pre-season.
The Portuguese, who came on for captain Hariss Harun in the 65th min, acquitted himself well on the night, bringing much-needed energy and intensity to the heart of the Sailors’ midfield.
The 26-year-old, who signed for the Sailors last July but only featured in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL), is eager to make up for lost time and help the club achieve their goals this season.
He said, “I’m happy to have played my first game in the SPL, even though it was a disappointing loss. It feels great to be back on the pitch and doing what I do best to help the team.
“Nobody likes to be injured, but it’s a part of football. Often, people don’t see the effort that is put in to recover and I’ve worked extremely hard in the rehabilitation process to finally return to the team.
“Now that I’m back, I’ll do my utmost to perform well and hopefully be at my best in every game.”
Rui believes that having the Young Lions game come so soon after the Sailors’ defeat to BG Tampines is a blessing in disguise, as it allows the team a quick opportunity to get back on the winning track and restore their confidence.
“After a defeat, all of us are really hungry to get out there again to make amends and show that the Lion City Sailors are much better than that,” Rui shared.
“We not only want to secure the three points, but we also want to put up a proper performance to prove ourselves. We’re going to play much better and display our true qualities as a team.”
Rui also paid tribute to the Sailors’ fans for their unwavering support, even during the loss to BG Tampines. He emphasised that this support will serve as motivation for the team to up their ante in the upcoming games.
“Of course, the fans deserve a better representation of our team, and that’s why we’re determined to deliver in the next game and throughout the rest of the season,” Rui said. “We aim to demonstrate that we are the best team in Singapore and we want to keep securing victories, so that our fans can be happy and proud whenever they come to the stadium to watch us.”
