Category: Feature
In Sailors Abroad, we take an in depth look at the Sailors’ foreign stints, through the eyes of those who lived through the experience.
In this piece, Sailors’ Football Academy Under-14 coach Mustafa Al-Saffar shares a fresh perspective of the Sailors, having just joined the academy setup, and meeting his colleagues and players for the first time, while in Germany.
It is never easy to be a coach of an academy team leading a side on an overseas training tour, juggling on-field performances with ensuring the wellbeing of an entire squad of teenagers.
Now imagine doing that while only meeting your players for the first time while on the trip itself.
That was exactly the situation that Mustafa Al-Saffar found himself in as he led Lion City Sailors’ Under-14 team at their training camp in Europe at the end of last year, a trip that was borne out of the club’s partnership with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
It certainly made for a unique experience, as Mustafa recalled with a chuckle: “I arrived the day before the team did, and obviously hadn’t met the staff or even the players.
“I noticed quite quickly that the players were a bit more reserved initially. They were very nice and polite but also very quiet, which is something different from back home in Scotland.
“I also saw that (LCS Academy Director) Luka Lalic had everything planned out and the setup was professionally done with the timetable, from breakfast to analysis… on paper it looked great and I was super excited,” said Mustafa, who holds a UEFA ‘A’ license.
“Then I heard the players hadn’t played a match in over two years and even training sessions were restricted (due to the Covid-19 pandemic). We had games against Dortmund and Feyenoord, clubs I knew were of a good standard, so I thought it would be a difficult experience.
“But then after the training sessions, from the first week into the second week, the players were more relaxed and started to open up, and there was naturally a change.
“There was a massive confidence boost in winning the opening game, and from then on, it was a completely different group of boys.”
The game that Mustafa was referring to saw the LCS U-14s record a resounding victory over their counterparts from German 6th-tier outfit Luner SV, where they opened the scoring after just 40 seconds and were leading 16-0 by halftime of the 60-minute match.
Nonetheless, the results – be it victory or defeat – are not the be all and end all for Mustafa and the coaches at the academy.
“Sometimes, I feel it’s unfair to compare players from Singapore to those from some of these other countries,” he explained. “In my opinion, the best thing to do is try to get close to that level you need to compete with the best.
“When we played Feyenoord, the difference was quite big. Physically, for example, their players were just more comfortable throwing their bodies into challenges, or even running at a really high intensity for longer periods of the game.”
“We got to see some of the youth teams training and even at Under-13 level, the players are pushed to a much higher capacity.
“But when we’re talking about football at this level, it’s all about development. The experience was massive. It’s not just about talking about what it’s like for our players to take on the best from Germany or Netherlands, but for them to experience it themselves, against teams like Feyenoord and Dortmund.
“We played against Cologne in our second-last game in Germany, and that match highlighted the biggest improvements during the trip. Had we played them in our first week there, we would have easily gotten beaten. Instead, what I saw were players that were louder, more aggressive, and competing at a different level.”
Mustafa also believes the emphasis the Sailors are placing on youth ties in with the club’s greater ambition of becoming one of the best teams in Asia, a project he is excited to be a part of.
“Coming to Singapore after the trip and seeing our new facility being built and the investment that has gone into it, the first team winning the league and aiming for continued success, linking up with overseas clubs like Dortmund… you can see this is the right way to go,” added Mustafa.
“The only thing is sometimes you don’t see the results after a year or two. It has to be a long-term project.
“But seeing how quickly things are moving, I’m super excited and I just hope in the next five to ten years, we get to see the success. It’s extremely inspirational.”
“I think, for a coach, what is sometimes overlooked in the role is the impact you have on a young person.
“I have been in situations before where I’ll see a young player who hasn’t exactly made a career in football, but for them to rush over and speak to me is just the best thing – to know I’ve connected with them.
“This is something I hope I will achieve with the boys here, even little things like being on time or looking someone in the eye when you’re speaking to them. Even planning on how to win a tournament – these are all skills transferable beyond the pitch and the game.
“As a coach, if you do it the right way, the kids can learn so much more than just making a pass or scoring a goal. I’ll do what I can from my end and hope the players can all take something away for their future.”
In Sailors Abroad, we take an in depth look at the Sailors’ foreign stints, through the eyes of those who lived through the experience.
First up in this series, Sailors’ Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang looks back at the Sailors’ 2021 trip to Europe.
There was privileged access to operational facilities, face time with both coaching and administrative staff, a slew of competitive matches against top European academy sides, and even the added bonus of taking in the famed “Der Klassiker” from the stands of the Signal Iduna Park.
It came as no surprise that Lion City Sailors Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang returned from Europe last December, hailing the club’s European sojourn as a roaring success.
The trip was built on the platform of the deepening partnership between Sailors and eight-time German champions Borussia Dortmund (BVB), and saw Sailors club officials learn from some of the best in the business, while the Sailors Football Academy’s Elite Under-14 team spent 42 days in Germany and the Netherlands gaining invaluable experience playing 11 matches across both countries.
“A key focus of the trip was to ensure our elite academy boys could get unrestricted training sessions, and also play in a full 11v11 games to benchmark ourselves against top youth teams in Europe,” said the 45-year-old.
“The team did an excellent job on and off the pitch. Our coaches were pleased with the discipline and determination the boys demonstrated and how they grew as a team, while their performances on the pitch showed that our team is indeed competitive at the European level.”
The trip to Europe had another key purpose as well, to drive improvement and professionalisation in the club’s specialist teams and administrators.
“There was much gained by our backroom staff as well: our staff from the sports science department, fitness, match analysis and even goalkeeping departments got insights into how a club like a top European club like Dortmund operates and picks up best practices to implement in our club,” said Chun-Liang.
“On the administrative side of things, we were allowed access to observe even restricted areas in matchday operations – including matchday experience for fans – merchandise sales, and also how our partners in Dortmund run ticketing, hospitality, security, and crowd control.”
Chun-Liang and the Sailors also visited the BVB training facility to see first hand what it takes to put together an excellent football infrastructure, perhaps an important facet of the trip with the Sailors’ training centre at Mattar Road set to be open later this year.
“We’re of course not there yet, but our BVB partners are at a level that we aspire to be at and it was important to learn best practices from them,” he said.
“Despite the difficult situations of Covid-19 and the rise of the Omicron variant, we’re delighted that we came together and persevered to make this trip work – it was invaluable in so many ways.”
The Europe training camp came just some four months after both clubs forged a two and a half-year partnership last July, and also saw the Sailors invited to watch a BVB first team training session and watch the likes of Erling Haaland, Marco Reus and Jude Bellingham up close.
The club were given access to certain parts of the stadiums on matchday of the match between Dortmund and rivals Bayern Munich, and were allowed to step onto the pitch for a jersey presentation ceremony to officially cement the LCS-BVB partnership.
The ultimate goal was to provide opportunity for unrestricted training and match exposure for the academy’s U14 team, in a safe environment with regular testing for all involved. This was especially important with Covid-19 restrictions limiting 11-a-side training and game opportunities for the team in Singapore since it was first set up in 2020.
“We were somewhat forced by circumstances to look abroad to ensure that our players continue to develop and match the progress of players in other countries around the world who have been training with fewer restrictions,” said Chun-Liang.
This Europe training camp was, in fact, only penciled in for 2022 but, when the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Singapore and Germany was first announced in early September 2021, the Sailors raced to sort things out from planning to logistics to execution.
BVB graciously accommodated the club’s special request, and just six weeks later, the Sailors were on a plane to Germany.
“The VTL gave us the opportunity to do this because a trip would not have made sense if you’re going to do a 14-day quarantine in both countries. You can imagine how fast we decided to do this after the VTL was first mooted,” he shared. “Credit goes to Luka and Academy General Manager (Tan) Li Yu for pushing and we quickly got the green-light approval from club Chairman Forrest (Li).
“We’re very grateful to Dortmund for helping us make this happen. A typical training camp overseas would’ve been around two and a half weeks, but since this was a rare opportunity, we wanted to maximise it. The cost was high, but the club moved ahead, for the good of our boys.”
It was not just about the two clubs, but also getting approval from schools in Singapore, as the boys had to skip their final academic week to make the trip and reassuring the parents as the Covid-19 situation was still fluid in Europe – a process which was made easier due to the support from both parties.
Beyond the tangible benefits to players and officials, the trip also served to solidify the relationship between LCS and BVB even as the partnership agreement was ‘practically done over Zoom’.
“Club Chairman Forrest was also there with us, and it was important to us that we could connect with BVB’s senior management to develop a deep relationship with them going forward,” stressed Chun-Liang.
Even before the trip, the two parties worked on several initiatives together – from virtual challenges between both sets of players to Zoom workshops on fan engagement to youth development philosophy, and even a combined CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) effort supporting the Macpherson Community, that witnessed staff from both LCS and BVB, along with Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling distribute gifts to some 130 children in a “Grant A Wish” event.
The club has hosted members of the BVB management in the last couple of months as well, with Benedikt Scholz, Head of International & New Business and Managing Director of BVB Football Academy in town to explore collaborative efforts in 2022.
With both clubs sharing lofty ambitions and even adopting similar beliefs, Chun-Liang firmly believes this partnership is one that can last the distance and also hinted at more exciting developments ahead.
“I think it is quite extraordinary, what we’ve done in just six months, and we’re all looking forward to doing much more in the months ahead,” he said.
“It’s certain that we’ll send a youth team to Dortmund every year, and depending on the pandemic situation, we want to explore the possibility of having some of our players spend time with BVB, be it with the first team, reserves or U21s,” added an optimistic Chun-Liang.
“We would love to have some form of exchange involving both our first teams too, perhaps even inviting Dortmund to play in Singapore.”
In this piece, Lion City Sailors’ Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang looks ahead to the new season, and the host of initiatives that are in the pipeline for Sailors’ fans.
It has been somewhat quiet on the local football front since the AFF Suzuki Cup ended on an emotional note for our Lions last December, as we now all await the start of the 2022 season.
We are wildly appreciative of the heartwarming support we saw in stands across stadiums in the country last year, and behind the scenes, we have been hard at work. At the Sailors, we are determined to do more, and do better for football fans in our country.
Memberships: The Crew
We are planning a gesture to show our appreciation for fans who have stood alongside the Sailors even before we were crowned Champions of Singapore, and we’ll leave it at that for now.
From here on in, our revamped membership, The Crew, will be renewed annually and we are continually looking to bring more value to our Crew.
The Crew will receive an exclusive membership pack – we’ll leave its contents as a bit of a surprise for those of you who will come on board – and also discounts on match tickets and a host of Sailors’ merchandise that will be rolled out soon. Membership will open doors to exclusive perks with our partners as well as members’ events that – pandemic safety measures notwithstanding – are aimed to be peppered across the season.
Only members of The Crew will be allowed to ballot for a Sailors season pass that will guarantee a seat for all of our home games in the domestic football calendar.
While we continue to work to bring on board partners who can bring added value to our Crew, we are equally determined to provide value ourselves and make this membership affordable.
Season Pass: A front row seat to the Sailors’ adventure
Singapore Premier League clubs will be allowed to welcome 1,000 fans to the stadium this year – under prevailing safe management policies – and for the season pass holders of The Crew, a seat will be guaranteed for all home games for domestic football competitions we will host at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
In addition to that, season pass holders will have early access to tickets for Sailors’ away games.
In 2022, we will make our maiden appearance in the season-ending Singapore Cup which will throw up a few more matches for fans – hopefully with a cup final included – and we believe the season pass provides good value to our loyal Crew who have already shown how inspiring they can be from the stands.
Aiming for a smoother, more entertaining, overall experience
Below the deck, we are exploring various options to improve the matchday experience for local football fans, starting with online ticketing. The vision is to have fans glide seamlessly through the turnstiles and to their seat, where they are enthralled by music and activities on the pitch and around the stadium.
We will announce details as soon as we are ready to, but one thing’s for sure, us Sailors are working our socks off to bring fans more value, and a more enjoyable experience of Singapore football.
While Covid-19 safety measures continue to be important to ensure that we can all keep our loved ones safe, we will continue to find ways to improve the matchday experience while working within regulations, because you – the Singapore football fan – are at the heart of everything we do, and we would love to have more of you in the stands as we drive towards a more vibrant Singapore football scene.
The Sailors and I would love to welcome you for the next leg of the Sailors’ adventure – come join us for the 2022 SPL season!
It was on an innocuous day more than two decades ago, when he was just starting out in his professional footballing career at the now-defunct outfit SAFFC, that Adi Saleh learnt a valuable life lesson that he continues to hold close to his heart.
Then still a student at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Adi found himself with time to spare after finishing his classes early that day, and so arrived at the Jurong Stadium two hours before SAFFC were due to train.
After changing into his goalkeeping gear, Adi decided to kill time by resting on the massage bed in the SAFFC dressing room.
Barely half-an-hour later, Adi was roused from his slumber by a loud, commanding voice from across the room.
“Adi! What are you doing here?” shouted Vincent Subramaniam, who was then in charge of SAFFC.
After Subramaniam was apprised of the situation, the former Lions coach directed a simple question to Adi.
“Do you want to succeed as a professional footballer?” Subramaniam asked.
When Adi replied in the affirmative, Subramaniam said: “Then you should be out on the field training now! It doesn’t matter that the rest of the players are not here, you can train by yourself, do some drills on your own! The extra effort that you put in will help you get better as a player.”
From that day on, Adi made it a habit to put in more hours on the training ground than was required, as he sought to become the best goalkeeper he could be.
More importantly, Subramaniam’s words helped Adi realise that there is no substitute for hard work in the quest for success.
That mantra – which all the top players in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Mo Salah live by – served Adi well, as he went on to enjoy a fulfilling playing career that saw him turn out for the likes of Home United, Balestier Khalsa, and even the Singapore National Football team.
“That lesson of giving extra in everything I do has helped me a lot in my career,” Adi mused. “It taught me that if you want something bad enough, you have to work hard for it.
“There’s no shortcut…you cannot simply be good or work hard for just one day. It is the effort that you put in every single day that will count in the end.”
While Adi never forgot that life lesson, and continued to hold true to the value of hard work even after hanging up his gloves in 2008, it became especially relevant in 2020, when the Lion City Sailors became the first privatised football club in Singapore.
The 45-year-old had by then been the goalkeeping coach for Home United – the previous iteration of the Sailors – for nearly 10 years, but niggling injuries to his knee and ankle meant he was unable to perform his role at an optimum level.
The Sailors had no choice but to hire another goalkeeping coach to take over Adi, but the club were also determined to retain their long-serving employee, and so offered Adi the role of Video Analyst.
The newly-created job involves having to record and ‘code’ video clips of certain moments in live matches, which allows the head coach to conduct a more in-depth analysis after the game.
Adi elaborated: “We have a system that helps us code every moment of the game – for example, if we want to see how the team builds up play, we will start recording when the goalkeeper or defenders have the ball, and record all the way till we bring the ball to the final third, or lose possession. That way, the coach can see in the build-up what good moments led us to the final third, and what errors were made that caused us to lose possession.
“It also helps with the development of players. For example, the coach might want to take a closer look at Saifullah (Akbar) after a game, to see every moment that he touches the ball, along with the five seconds before and after he receives it. Once that clip is extracted, he can assess if Saifullah is moving at the right place at the right time, and that’s where he will make his assessment and recommendation to the player.
“At the end of the day, the coach wants the players to know what are the things they have done during the game that are good, and what are bad. It’s not to be critical of the players, but to help them and the team get better moving forward.”
While initially hesitant about embarking on a radically different career path, Adi ultimately decided to give it a go, with the belief that by working hard in his new role, he would be able to overcome any challenges that came his way.
“Having been a goalkeeping coach for some time, it was not easy for me to suddenly change my job scope. The role of video analyst is also quite new in Singapore football, so there wasn’t really anyone I could learn from or go to for advice. In addition, we had a new coach from Australia (Aurelio Vidmar), and I did have doubts over whether I could meet his expectations,” Adi admitted.
“But I learnt from my playing days that I had to do my best no matter what the situation is. At the end of the day, I trusted my belief that if you work hard, the results will show.”
Two seasons later, Adi has absolutely no regrets at having taken the leap of faith.
An integral part of the backroom team, Adi – who credits former coach Aurelio for teaching him a lot on the job – has since been empowered by Sailors’ coach Kim Do-hoon to conduct post-match presentations with the team, where he goes through the past game to highlight and analyse its key moments.
“Coach Kim maintains an open line of communication with me, and guides me along his vision, so it’s easy for me to progress,” said Adi. “Honestly, it’s thanks to the help and advice I’ve received from coaches Kim and Aurelio over the past two seasons that has enabled me to become a better video analyst.”
Having witnessed first-hand the Sailors’ rapid improvement and transformation into Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions this year, Adi is excited at what the future holds for the club, especially with regard to their participation in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) next year.
“I feel blessed and honoured to have been a part of history with the Sailors’ SPL title win,” the father of three said. “But that is just the beginning. Everyone at the club understands that there is a big responsibility on us to be better, and that we have to prepare to play at a whole new level in the ACL next year.
“It’s not going to be easy, so we have to work hard during pre-season. But we are determined not to go there to make up the numbers – we want to compete, because we know that the club is carrying the flag for Singapore in the tournament.”
“How we fare will boil down to our mentality and motivation, because I believe we have the talent already. But having been at the club for quite some time now, I know that every player in the team is striving to be the best,” he said.
“So, I’m confident that we can go far, and I’m looking forward to achieving greater things with the Sailors.”
Some three months ago, gold and blue confetti floated down from the Jalan Besar sky and fans partied in the stands as the Lion City Sailors lifted their first Singapore Premier League (SPL) trophy on 10 October 2021.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers and the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup that subsequently took place in the Lion City whetted the appetite of local football fans, with the focus now shifting back to the domestic club scene as the Sailors look to retain their crown and remain kingpins of Singapore football in 2022.
In the SPL’s 26-year history, only three teams – Warriors FC, Tampines Rovers and Albirex Niigata (S) – have retained the title and the Sailors will be out to join that exclusive club. They will face stiff challenges with other clubs strengthening their roster in a bid to vie for the championship.
Albirex’s signing of former Japanese international Tadanari Lee has made waves, but it is not just the usual suspects who could challenge this term. The arrival of new head coach Akbar Nawas seems to have sparked a revolution at Balestier Khalsa, while Geylang International have an ex-Major League Soccer (MLS) player Vincent Bezecourt in their ranks, and Tanjong Pagar United have signed Khairul Nizam to partner his brother, Khairul Amri, upfront.
The Sailors can ill afford to rest on their laurels as they resumed training for the new season on 5th January, with the national team players who were away on Suzuki Cup duty returning five days later.
Continuity continues to be key for the club, with four players – namely club captain and goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, attackers Song Ui-young, Hafiz Nor and Haiqal Pashia – handed deserved contract extensions for 2022.
Hassan, who turns 38 in April, has led the Sailors exemplarily and is still going strong, turning in impressive displays for Singapore at the Suzuki Cup, while Song – who similarly impressed for the Lions – finished off the 2021 campaign with a flourish, scoring four goals in the last three matches of the season.
Hafiz is always a livewire down the right flank and he provided some notable contributions – including a mazy run and cross to set up Stipe Plazibat for the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Hougang United last August.
The 23-year-old Pashia truly came into his own as the 2021 season wore on – who can forget that long-range scorcher against Tanjong Pagar? – and is beginning to show his full potential.
In addition to players on long-term contracts like Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman and Diego Lopes, the re-signing of this quartet provides a sturdy platform for the Sailors to excel in 2022.
Three new arrivals have also come onboard in the form of Izwan Mahbud, M. Anumanthan and Kim Shin-wook. Izwan’s arrival means the club now has two steady and experienced pairs of hands in goal, while Anu – one of the finest defensive midfielders in the country – will add steel to the Sailors’ engine room.
Perhaps the biggest draw came in the signing of South Korean international Shin-wook, who brings AFC Champions League (ACL) pedigree – he has won the tournament twice, first with Ulsan Hyundai in 2012 and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2016. Alongside coach Kim Do-hoon who led Ulsan to the 2020 ACL title, their presence and experience in Asian club football’s biggest stage will put the Sailors in good stead as the club prepares for its maiden ACL campaign this April.
With two more foreign signings still to come, Sailor fans have much to look forward to.
It may be a new year, but the Sailors are bringing the same hunger and ambitious approach to invigorate Singapore football.
The Republic’s Lions have exorcised the ghosts of past AFF Suzuki Cup failures, qualifying for the semi-finals of the biennial tourney for the first time in nine year, as the 2020 edition continues to be played out in Singapore.
Singapore navigated out of Group B relatively unscathed, finishing second behind Thailand, with several Lion City Sailors doing their part for the national cause. There were 12 Sailors who were named in Tatsuma Yoshida’s 28-man squad, but unfortunately only 11 will continue to play a part as Singapore face Indonesia in the two-leg semi-finals on 22 and 25 December.
Gabriel Quak, the Singapore Premier League’s (SPL) Player of the Year in 2020, went down clutching his left shoulder in Singapore’s 2-1 win over Philippines on 8 Dec and initial fears were confirmed – the effervescent winger would miss the remainder of the campaign to undergo surgery on a dislocated shoulder.
All photos courtesy of the Football Association of Singapore
It was a huge blow for the 30-year-old, who finished the 2021 SPL season as the top local goalscorer with 13 strikes to his name – and a Goal of the Year gong to boot.
Gabriel’s unfortunate injury aside, it has been a solid campaign for the rest of the Sailors contingent, with four players featuring in each of Singapore’s four group matches, another four making their Suzuki Cup bows, this despite Tajeli Salamat and Hafiz Nor having yet to see any game time.
As Singapore continues to drive towards regional glory, we look back with pride at the group stage showings of our Singaporean Sailors.
Leaders of the pride
Hassan Sunny and Hariss Harun are two of only four Singapore players who have played every minute for the Lions in the tournament thus far.
The oldest Lion at the tournament at 37 and playing in his eighth Suzuki Cup, it has been a remarkable journey for Hassan, who had to come back from two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries earlier in his career and fight off stiff competition from Izwan Mahbud to claim the no.1 spot for this tournament.
Having chalked up nine saves en route to keeping two clean sheets for the Lions, the experienced custodian is relishing the chance to feature heavily in the team’s bid for a fifth regional crown – he had played second fiddle to Lionel Lewis in the 2004 and 2007 victories, while missing out on the 2012 triumph through injury.
For Hariss, the Lions skipper was unfortunately struck with Covid-19 and only recovered two weeks before the start of the tournament. Nonetheless, the 31-year-old worked doubly hard to get up to speed and battled on admirably despite visibly still not back at 100 percent yet.
There is little wonder to his hard work as he is determined to make up for lost time – a shin fracture in the group stages led to him playing only a peripheral role when the Lions last won the tournament in 2012.
Steady and reliable
Shahdan Sulaiman and Faris Ramli have featured in all four of Singapore’s matches as well, with the former showing class with his calming influence in the middle of the park and his trademark deliveries from set-pieces often wreaking havoc in opposition penalty boxes.
The 33-year-old Shahdan – who has been one of the SPL’s standout players in recent years – has something to prove in this year’s edition. After breaking his leg in a 4-2 win over Myanmar in the 2014 group stages, he was then left on the bench throughout 2016 and was not called up to the final squad in 2018.
Faris missed out on the 2012 campaign due to National Service commitments, and has been unsuccessful in the subsequent tournaments since. The 29-year-old has been a scourge for the opponents’ defence with his direct running and blistering pace, with one goal and assist to his name. He had done well to come through a tough year where he saw limited game time initially before becoming a key figure under Kim Do-hoon as the Sailors romped to their first-ever SPL title.
Adam Swandi is another one that has caught the eye, despite starting only one match so far. After a rough couple of years following an ACL injury in June 2019, the skillful playmaker had to work his way back and only started a game again this July.
Despite all the difficulties, he has never wavered and was rewarded with a start against Timor-Leste, where he netted his maiden international goal with a cool and confident finish after four minutes to set the Lions en route to a third straight win.
The debutants
Many eyes were on Song Ui-young in his first international tournament with the Lions and it is safe to say he has delivered so far. Long touted to represent Singapore since his arrival in the SPL in 2012, the South-Korean born midfielder had to bide his time before finally gaining citizenship in August.
The 28-year-old was particularly impressive in the opening 3-0 win over Myanmar, with his drive to win the ball back and go on lung-bursting runs to set up counter-attacks for the team. Should Song continue to turn on the style, there is no doubt he could be a game-changer for the Lions in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile Nur Adam Abdullah and Saifullah Akbar – the 2021 and 2020 SPL Player of the Year respectively – put in decent 25-minute shifts when they came on in the 2-0 loss against Thailand for their Suzuki Cup debuts. More is expected to come from them, especially the former who could be in line to start at left-back for the semi-finals against Indonesia with Shakir Hamzah now ruled out for the tournament through injury.
Amirul Adli came on as a late substitute against Thailand, that was the 25-year-old’s first Suzuki Cup appearance since 2014 and he will be hoping to get more minutes under the belt.
We join the rest of Singapore, watching closely as the Lions drive towards the final of 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup, and we wish our Lions all the best in the matches ahead!
The Lion City Sailors put up some scintillating football in their 2020 Singapore Premier League (SPL) debut, but finishing third in the eight-team standings was clearly not good enough for a club with a long-term goal of achieving excellence in the region.
Ahead of the 2021 season, the Sailors pulled out all the stops assembling an improved squad to put up an even stronger challenge for the title.
Quality local acquisitions came in the form of Faris Ramli, Amirul Adli and Nur Adam Abdullah, then came the eye-catching signings of Brazilian duo Jorge Fellipe and Diego Lopes. Diego’s arrival captured the imagination of the fraternity – the former Benfica midfielder came at a price of S$3 million from Portuguese top-flight side Rio Ave.
Not the best of starts
All eyes were on the Sailors as they looked to avoid the previous season’s slow start that saw them pick up just one point from their opening two matches.
Hosting 2020 runners-up Tampines Rovers in a mouthwatering opening-day clash, Aurelio Vidmar’s men got off to a flyer. They went 2-0 up within the first six minutes and led by 3-1 early into the second half. But a quick-fire Yasir Hanapi brace meant they spurned two valuable points in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
A first win of the season would come soon as the Sailors emphatically thrashed Tanjong Pagar United 5-0, but they were then handed a rude wake-up call next, convincingly beaten by Hougang United in a 3-1 defeat. Make no mistake about it – the Sailors did not deserve to get anything out of that game. It seemed like a case of history repeating itself. With just four points from their opening three matches, the Sailors already needed to play catch-up with 2020 champions Albirex Niigata (S).
Bouncing back with a 3-1 win over Young Lions, the Sailors’ defensive frailties continued to haunt them, conceding a couple of goals through set-pieces in the first of three encounters against Albirex. They did rally and manage to come from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw late on, but being fourth in the standings after five matches played saw question marks over the Sailors’ credentials for the SPL title.
Hitting the winning notes despite a change of coach
An 8-0 demolition of Geylang International proved to be the tonic the Sailors needed, kick-starting a great winning run. A 4-1 drubbing of Balestier Khalsa soon followed with a number of quality goals, including Gabriel Quak’s stunning first-time volley was eventually named the Goal of the Year.
The Sailors then exacted revenge over Hougang in a 1-0 away win with star man Diego netting a physics-defying volley to take all three points, but that match proved to be Aurelio’s final act as Sailors Head Coach with the Australian leaving to pursue other opportunities.
Under-21 Head Coach Robin Chitrakar took interim charge, but the Sailors marched on, defeating Geylang 2-1, Tanjong Pagar 3-1 and Young Lions 1-0 to stay on course. Chalking up six straight wins meant they were now the most credible challenger to Albirex’s crown.
At the halfway mark of the season the Sailors were just a point behind the White Swans.
A new era begins
The Sailors landed Ulsan Hyundai’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) winning coach Kim Do-hoon on a two-and-a-half-year contract to take over the reins in what was a coup for the club.
Having won the 2020 ACL, his credentials were never in question, and he wasted little time in getting down to business. Placing a huge emphasis on physical training and focusing on building up a robust defence to complement the Sailors’ highly-attractive attacking style, the players clearly needed a bit of time to adjust.
Starting off his tenure with a gritty 1-1 draw away at Albirex, Kim’s second game in charge did not exactly go as smoothly. They needed a 95th-minute penalty from Stipe Plazibat to scrape a 1-1 draw against Balestier. With no wins in his first two matches, the pressure was definitely on, but the South Korean picked up an impressive 4-1 victory over Tampines next for his first win in charge. His tactical nous came to the fore, with his plan of pressing from the top and pressuring the Stags into defensive mistakes working a treat.
Hiccups before finally reaching the summit
That was followed by a 2-1 victory away at Tanjong Pagar, before the Sailors were frustrated by a defensively-resolute Hougang side in a 1-1 home draw. Faris Ramli’s goal-bound shot was agonisingly cleared off the line deep into injury time as the Sailors found themselves five points off the pace with five matches to go.
The Sailors were then given a huge scare by Young Lions as they trailed 1-0 at half time. A loss would have seen them fall eight points adrift of Albirex, but they dug deep and found steel, making the breakthrough with a rare Jorge Fellipe double and triumphed 3-1.
Then came the most important game of the season – the Sailors needed to beat Albirex in a top-of-the-table clash to swing the title pendulum their way.
Kim’s charges led for 70-odd minutes after Haiqal Pashia’s opener, but a loss of concentration in the final minute of injury time allowed Ryoya Taniguchi to head in the equaliser. That goal seemed to have all but ruined Sailors’ championship hopes. Albirex needed to drop points in either of their final two games for the Sailors to stand any chance of winning their first trophy, and that appeared unlikely.
The Sailors brushed off disappointment and focused on what they could control, blitzing Tampines 6-1 away in an incredible team performance just days later. The win narrowed the gap to Albirex to just two points going into the final two rounds.
And the unlikely did come to pass on Matchweek 20.
Albirex were held to a shock 0-0 home draw by a determined Tampines side who were out to put their torrid run of form behind them – a result not many saw coming. The Sailors were handed a golden opportunity to regain the title initiative and they did not waste it with a professional display to dispatch Geylang 3-0. The victory meant they leapfrogged the White Swans to go top based on a superior goal difference heading into the final round of fixtures on 10th October.
Remarkably, that was the first time the Sailors have ended a matchweek atop the SPL in 2021 and they were not about to relinquish their position easily.
On an enthralling final-day that saw tickets sell out hours before kick-off, the Sailors got off to a good start with Song turning home the opener, but were then stung by a shock Tigers equaliser through Aidil Johari. But Gabriel’s goal just before half time settled nerves and they would eventually wrap up a 4-1 victory through Lopes and a second Gabriel goal.
The Sailors became SPL champions on the back of a club-record 18-match unbeaten run.
The players’ attention will now turn elsewhere – some are taking a break while others will report for international duty at the year-end AFF Suzuki Cup. But once the Sailors come together again, eyes will be focused on building on the 2021 season and flying the Singapore flag in the region when the Sailors make their ACL debut next year.
He can still see it clearly in his mind’s eye, in slow motion: the ball leaving Naqiuddin Eunos’ foot, rising into the Jalan Besar night sky then dipping invitingly towards him.
(Photo courtesy of Football Association of Singapore)
Gabriel Quak had only one thing on his mind – smash it.
He did, and spectacularly so. With a swing of his left foot, the 30-year-old sent the ball rocketing into the back of the net, and the SELECT Goal of the Year (GOTY) trophy onto his shelf at home.
That majestic volley came in the Lion City Sailors’ 4-1 win over Balestier Khalsa in April at the Jalan Besar Stadium, an important three points en route to the club’s first Singapore Premier League (SPL) title, and as a bonus to Gabriel, beat five other nominees at the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) Awards Night on Tuesday (12 October) to the GOTY award.
The goal happened in a split second, but it was one that has been in the making for years. Gabriel described it as “the nicest goal” in his entire career, ranking it just ahead of his neat solo effort in a 3-0 win over Geylang International during the 2020 season.
“That goal against Geylang was a reflection of my style – footwork and little dribbling in the build-up before scoring – so it was one that I really liked,” he said.
“But yes, this one against Balestier has to be the nicest. Credit to Naqi his cross was perfectly weighted and fell into a nice spot. For many years, I’ve been practising on pot shots after training, sometimes my teammates would cross from the side and I would try to finish first-time. I’m just glad that it finally came off on record, in an official game.”
The fact that he managed to beat an accomplished keeper like Zaiful Nizam – someone a 16-year-old Gabriel watched at the Lion City Cup – made the achievement even sweeter.
Before the awards, Gabriel was not certain he would win, especially with the majority of the other nominees scoring from a further distance than his and he felt Fathullah Rahmat’s 35-yard strike for Tanjong Pagar United in their final day 4-4 draw against Albirex Niigata (S) was one that ran the closest.
“Credit to all the other nominees, all of them scored fantastic goals and if I’ve to pick out one, I thought it was Fathullah’s – it was a great build-up with him playing a one-two (with Khairul Amri) before scoring from way out. And he certainly meant that,” elaborated Gabriel.
“Honestly I wouldn’t say my goal was better than the rest. Perhaps mine was slightly different from theirs because it was on the run and struck first-time. I’m just thankful the panel of judges found mine the most aesthetically pleasing and it’s a huge pleasure to win this award.”
The GOTY award adds on to the growing number of personal accolades that Gabriel already has to his name – in 2020, he was crowned Player of the Year (POTY) and also named in the SPL Team of the Year (TOTY) – and it is one he felt is the most unique.
“I don’t think anyone really sets a target to win the GOTY as compared to winning POTY or being in the TOTY. It depends on the action in the game and it just happens naturally,” he said.
“The beauty of winning GOTY is that the goal is probably going to be replayed time and time again, as compared to the other awards.”
The award sums up another great year for Gabriel, who has managed to build on his 2020 success, scoring 13 out of the Sailors’ 59 goals. This was also his best single season scoring record since he made his professional debut in 2008 with Young Lions, finishing as the top local goalscorer for the second consecutive season.
In the process, he has earned the moniker of ‘Gabigol’, a nickname that has caught on with teammates and fans alike. Having reached such heights in his career for the past two campaigns, Gabriel knows he has to continue to raise the bar or at least maintain these levels of consistency – and he is embracing the challenge.
“The ‘Gabigol’ tag came from our club’s Brazilian interpreter, Nelson. I was scoring quite consistently at the start of the season, so one fine day in training he started calling me that,” revealed Gabriel.
“That’s the nickname for Gabriel Barbosa who is scoring goals for fun in the Brazilian league. I don’t know how, but it began to spread and everyone began to call me that as well.”
While it is nice-sounding, Gabriel accepts that it will come with pressure, especially after he’s enjoyed two consecutive seasons as the top-scoring Singaporean.
“I know after the individual success I had in the previous season, many people were expecting me to deliver and expectations were high,” he said of his 2020 season. “I took it as a challenge – I always love one and I’m personally very competitive – and I’m just glad that this year, my numbers were there for everyone to see, and ultimately we won the league as a team – that was always our objective.”
While another GOTY award is not on his radar, matching the levels of performance that led to that goal and the league title definitely is.
“If you ask me if I’m confident to maintain at this level, I would say yes. Year in, year out, I always try to make sure I don’t fall short of my standards. In a footballer’s life span, there’s bound to be ups and downs,” he said.
“But one thing is for certain: I’ll continue to put in the work to ensure that we can build on this league title – and I know my teammates will be doing exactly the same.”
On Tuesday, Nur Adam Abdullah found himself alongside Saifullah Akbar and Ryoya Taniguchi, attacking players who have chalked up impressive numbers in the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
Saifullah, a fellow Lion City Sailor, chalked up four goals and three assists, while Albirex Niigata (S) midfielder, Taniguchi, ended the season with nine goals and eight assists.
The pair was Nur Adam’s competition, nominees for the AIA Young Player of the Year (YPOTY) award at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Awards Night. And simply put, he did not think he stood any hint of a chance to win, especially not with his statistics for the season – one solitary assist.
Numbers present a detailed picture, but they do not always tell the full story, and in those cases, the full story can surprise – just as Nur Adam was when he was crowned as the SPL’s YPOTY for 2021.
(Photo courtesy of Football Association of Singapore)
In just his third professional season, the effervescent left-back enjoyed a solid campaign with performances that belied his tender years. Indeed, the 20-year-old was a key figure in the Sailors’ first SPL triumph.
“In my conversations with my friends and family, I told them I may not be able to win because based on stats, I only had that one assist,” admitted Nur Adam. “But if you based it on performance, I would say I’ve been pretty consistent throughout the year.”
To double his joy, he was also named in the SPL Team of the Year (TOTY) alongside fellow Sailors, Jorge Fellipe, Shahdan Sulaiman and Stipe Plazibat, which also came as a surprise to him. Nur Adam felt “an older or more experienced player” would perhaps be more deserving of the left-back position.
Stats alone certainly do not tell the true tale of Nur Adam’s 2021 campaign. He made the left-back spot his own in his first season with the Sailors. He played and completed all 16 games that he played in, the Under-23 rule notwithstanding.
Despite having to cope with the transition from developmental side Young Lions to the title-chasing Sailors, he thrived, earning plaudits from all quarters with his ability to put in crunching tackles as well as bomb forward to support the attack.
His grit and tenacity has even brought forth comparisons with legendary Singapore left-back, the late Borhan Abu Samah, who was affectionately named Singapore’s “Russian Tank”.
To be amongst the awards served to round off a memorable year for the rising defender, but Nur Adam preferred to share the credit with his team and loved ones.
“I would just like to say thank you to all my teammates, the staff and coaches at the Sailors, as well as the fans who’ve been giving me amazing support and I’m really thankful for that,” he said.
“Not forgetting my family members as well, they’ve always been there and stood by my side on every step of my journey. They saw me suffer and go through some really low moments in my career, especially when I broke my leg seven years ago. Every one of them has played a part to help me get to where I am today.”
Nur Adam is the first defender to win the YPOTY since Home United’s Sirina Camara did so in 2013, and he believes he has benefitted from the worldwide trend of full-backs playing a bigger role in football teams – and getting recognition for their work.
“In my opinion, the full-back is now one of the most, if not the most, crucial position in football now. We’re not just defenders, but also attackers,” he elaborated. “We must have pace, stamina and dribbling skills – basically the whole package – to be able to play in this position.”
Now that the 2021 league season is over, Nur Adam is already looking forward to the next one with the Sailors set to participate in their first-ever Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) campaign.
The next season could prove to be a pivotal one for Nur Adam. It is likely to be his last before he reports for National Service (NS). Due to enlist at the end of next year, he is out to make the most of the remaining time to evolve into an even better player.
“You know I was already talking to Coach (Kim Do-hoon) that my target is to score five goals next season?” revealed Nur Adam, who is in his third and final year as a sports management student at Republic Polytechnic (RP) under the through-train pathway from Singapore Sports School.
“I just want to get more, in terms of statistics, to contribute to the team. I’m not sure whether I’ll get to play much after I’ve enlisted… but for now, I just want to focus on getting whatever advice I can from the coaches and experienced players. The most important thing is helping the team to retain the SPL title and do well in the ACL.”
But the year is not yet over for Nur Adam, far from it. International duty beckons.
Nur Adam has been named in the provisional Singapore squads for two big tournaments – the AFC Under-23 Qualifiers at the end of this month and the initially postponed AFF Suzuki Cup 2020, now scheduled for December.
The possible lack of rest is not a factor that bothers the determined lad, as he looks forward to fulfilling a dream – a target, really – that he set for himself at the age of 13.
“The long-term goal I set when I was in the Sports School was to make my national team debut before I go for NS. It would be fantastic if that could happen. To play in the Suzuki Cup would be amazing,” said the 2018 Dollah Kassim Award winner.
“I recall watching the 2012 edition when Shaiful Esah was whipping in his pinpoint crosses from left-back – the bend whenever he strikes the ball was just ‘wow’ – and he’s one of my local football idols.
“Of course it’s a testing year for me and Saifullah (who is called up for both squads as well), but I guess the benefit is that we’re still young and can recover faster. We have 24 hours a day, we just have to recover well to make sure we’re ready for all the matches ahead.
“And I will grab the opportunity with both hands if it comes.”
Igniting a Sailors’ fire – The 12th man
Football is nothing without fans.
The adage has long been relegated to the sporting cliché dump, alongside the likes of “we’re taking it a game at a time”, and “we gave 110 percent.” But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen a bright spotlight turn to stands in stadiums across the globe, and pulled the stark reality of the adage back to the forefront of the sporting psyche – it is true.
In the Singapore Premier League (SPL), it has become clear that passionate fandom is alive and kicking.
The SPL was played behind closed doors in various pockets of the 2021 season, and the silent scream from empty stands was conspicuous, and wildly so. Once fans were allowed back in, the electricity in the air at stadiums across the island was palpable – and on the pitch, it sparked higher tempo, higher intensity football matches.
A number of the Lion City Sailors’ best performances this season have come when there are fans in the stadiums, with attacker Gabriel Quak adamant that the vociferous support has “brought life” to football matches.
“Fans in the stadium definitely make a huge difference – while in Singapore we can only have 1000 fans now, compared to the 30,000 or 50,000 in Europe, but the impact is still significant,” said the 30-year-old.
“You can feel the euphoria from the stands whenever we score, and with every tackle we make. Whether you’re chasing the game or trying to hold on to a lead, the fans give us an extra push and extra energy.
“That’s really important – it brings out that extra 10 or 20 percent from us.”
As the Sailors surge towards their first-ever league title, the interest for the game here has grown and recent sell-out crowds at their matches at the Jalan Besar Stadium underscores the point.
For the top-of-the-table clash with defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) some weeks ago, fans were spotted queuing up for the tickets even three hours before the game with the allocated quantity of 1,000 quickly snapped up. It is a welcome sight that Gabriel hopes can be built on into the seasons to come.
“It’s such a great feeling to see so many people queuing up when we arrive at the stadium on match day. Be it having 10 or 1000 fans, every one of them count because they make the effort to turn up,” he acknowledged.
“I hope it’s not a COVID-19 thing, with watching football one of the few things that people can do despite the restrictions we have in Singapore. Hopefully we can progress from here to having 2,000 or even 4,000 fans in the stadium.
“I guess fans feel good about watching the game in a full-house stadium where you look to your left, right, up and down, there are people watching with you. Likewise, we feel great about having their support up close.”
September’s Young Lions fixture was one that stuck out in Gabriel’s mind. The 2020 SPL Player of the Year believes the fans truly made a difference in the 3-1 win that saw the Sailors come from a goal down to win courtesy of a rare double from Jorge Fellipe.
“It wasn’t an easy game, but when Jorge scored the equaliser we could feel the force coming from the stands and that pushed us to go for the winner,” he recalled.
“And when he scored again, he took off his top and the whole team went to celebrate in front of the fans. It was just such a great moment to savour and honestly that could not have happened in an empty stadium.”
For Sailors fans, it has been such a stop-start season in terms of changing regulations. With the first five matches of the season being played behind closed doors, conditional entry was finally granted to 250 fans in early April as long as they produced proof of a negative COVID-19 test result.
That only lasted for three rounds, before reverting to the status quo for the whole of May (three matches) due to a rising number of cases. When the league resumed in late July, 100 fans were allowed in (for two matches) before the number was raised to 500 in August (one match) and subsequently 1,000 (six matches since) from mid-August onwards.
During the period when fans were not allowed in, the Sailors organised online watch-alongs via Zoom for a number of matches and it was an initiative Sailors fan Eddy Hirono was very appreciative of.
“We’ve very thankful of what the club has done for us – these watch-alongs were crucial to helping us fans get to know each other and feel more connected to the club,” said the 33-year-old in-house lawyer.
“It’s nice that they got youth players from the club to join in these sessions, so we were just having fun asking Adib (Nur Hakim) and Justin Hui questions from hairstyle and their personal lives to who’s the joker in the dressing room.”
Eddy, who is part of a 30-strong official Sailors fan club, The Crew, is one who has attended every Sailors game possible this season. He believes the most important aspect of being physically present at the stadium is the fellowship with like-minded individuals from all walks of life.
“It’s so heartening to see people from anywhere and everywhere – there are some makciks sitting with us and even a six-year-old boy, whose dad trusts him to sit with us,” he revealed. “Nur Adam’s (Abdullah) family usually sits very near us and they always thank us for supporting him, which is very nice.
“At the moment, we cannot bring in things like drums. But the supporters have been great in improvising – be it by whacking the chairs, stamping their feet or just clapping very loudly. There’s also a bit of healthy banter with opposition fans – which is all fun and games really.
“This is just the start and hopefully we can get more people together as time goes along – we want to be the consistent voice for this football club.
For Eddy, being at a match means he can live through the whole range of emotions as a football fan, and he is definitely going to be there in the stands as the Sailors look to cross the finish line against Balestier on 10th October.
“I recall that Albirex game where there was everything – the euphoria and the party atmosphere after going 1-0 up, then that layer of tension knowing one goal will change the whole title equation,” said the long-time supporter, who started supporting the club in 2012 in its previous iteration as Home United.
“While we did not hold out for the win, that’s what we fans live for – to experience all these emotions of a football match, it’s not just about the victories. I hope to see the club win the title this Sunday, but if we don’t, I wouldn’t be too disappointed. Because it’s a matter of time before we pick up trophies,” said Eddy.
Buoyed by the unwavering support from the fans, Sailors attacker Song Ui-young wants to make sure they do not go home disappointed this Sunday.
“I know how much our fans love us and how they would love to see a local team win the title after so long,” said the newly-minted Singaporean. “The fans are part of our football family and we cannot exist without them.
“I know many of them are excited for this last match against Balestier. We’re going to be very well prepared for this match because we want to lift the trophy in front of all our fans. We want to give them something to cheer about because they deserve it for all their support.”
