Barely two days after defeat to a strong Nam Định FC side in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, the Lion City Sailors are already turning their attention back to domestic matters as they look to respond in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).

The defeat in Vietnam brought the Sailors’ hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Shopee Cup to an end, leaving the SPL as their primary focus for the remainder of the season.

Facing the reigning V.League 1 champions, the Sailors knew they were in for a stern test, particularly with several key players unavailable, including Song Uiyoung, Hami Syahin, Kyoga Nakamura and Bart Ramselaar. Defender Toni Datković later admitted that, despite the best efforts of those on the pitch, they were beaten by a side that deserved the result.

“It was a tough day for us, and conceding those two goals in the second half made things difficult,” he said. “We kept fighting until the end, but they are a good team and won fair and square.

“We had many players missing, so we couldn’t make as many changes as the game went on. But that’s football. We need to close this chapter and come back stronger from it. What matters now is how we respond.

“It’s important that we use this disappointment as fuel and motivation to push forward. Our full focus is on the league now, and we will give everything to defend our title.”

Indeed, the Sailors’ response will be tested quickly, as they return to SPL action with a home clash against Balestier Khalsa on Sunday (1 February).

While Balestier have slipped to sixth in the table after back-to-back defeats, the Sailors will approach the fixture with full focus on making amends and extending their strong recent record against the Tigers, having won 11 of their last 12 meetings in all competitions.

“This game is very important for us,” said Toni. “We will do our best to rest and recover. We’ve played them a few times this season and won three times, and our objective is to do the same again.”

The Croatian defender also shares close ties with several Balkan players in the Balestier squad, including Tin Matić, Mario Šubarić and Mario Mustapić, with the group having spent time together off the pitch.

Those friendships, however, will be firmly set aside come Sunday.

“We still have a lot to look forward to,” Toni stressed. “Our full focus is on the league, and we want to secure the title as soon as possible.”