With seven goals already this campaign, Lion City Sailors forward Shawal Anuar is on track to surpass his best-ever tally of 11 goals, set in 2022.
Those who have watched Shawal closely this season, however, know he could have easily scored a few more by now, and that the only reason he has not is because of his unselfishness in front of goal.
Indeed, this is backed up by the seven assists that Shawal has already notched up this year, with his latest — a lay-off for Song Uiyoung — coming in the Sailors’ 7-1 win over Hougang United last Sunday (28 July) evening.
But Shawal is not the only one in the team who has been unselfish in front of goal, with the likes of Maxime Lestienne and Lennart Thy also chipping in with the assists this season.
Shawal believes that this mindset of prioritising the team over personal achievements is one that will greatly benefit the Sailors.
The 33-year-old explained, “From the start of the season, all of us have had only one goal: to win trophies together as a team. There’s no point in any one of us trying to go for the top scorer award if the team doesn’t play well or win matches.
“If I can help someone else score, I will, and I guess the same applies to the rest of the team. We’re building a great understanding and bond with each other, which makes it easier for us to combine on the pitch. We’re always working on different variations to score, and what’s important is that all of us reap the rewards together after the game.”
Nonetheless, Shawal acknowledged that he is pleased with his form and performances for the Sailors this season.
“I’m happy with how my season has gone so far, but to be honest, I don’t really keep track of my statistics,” the Singapore international shared. “My priority is always the team, and I believe I can do even more to help us stay near the top. So, for example, if I need to defend more, I’ll gladly do it to support my teammates.”
Up next for Shawal and the Sailors is a Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against an out-of-form Brunei DPMM side at the Bishan Stadium on Saturday (3 August) evening.
The last time both teams met — in Matchweek 3 — the Sailors secured a 2-0 victory, thanks to late goals from Shawal and Maxime.
That match marked the beginning of a wretched run for DPMM, who have yet to secure a victory since that defeat.
Now languishing in sixth place in the nine-team SPL, the Bruneian outfit will have their work cut out against a Sailors side that has scored an impressive 13 goals and conceded just once in their last two games.
Despite being the clear favourites this weekend, Shawal insists the Sailors will not underestimate their upcoming opponents.
“Sometimes, people expect us to go out there and steamroll other teams, but that’s usually not the case. DPMM have the capacity to cause trouble with their quality foreign players, and we’ve been hurt by them before,” Shawal said, referring to his team’s 3-1 defeat to the Bruneians in July 2023 — the only time the Sailors were beaten at home last season.
“I’m sure they’re hurt by their recent results and will be eager to prove themselves against us. For us, we just need to focus on our task, keep doing what we did in our last two matches, and let the result take care of itself.”
The clash against DPMM will be the Sailors’ final game before they participate in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup. They will open their Shopee Cup campaign against Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda on 22 August, and Shawal has urged his team to carry their recent winning momentum into the tournament.
He said, “I know our fans are very excited about the Shopee Cup, and we’re eager to represent Singapore well at the regional level. For now, we need to focus on delivering a strong performance against DPMM and maintaining our position in the league before we shift our attention to the Shopee Cup match.”