Category: News
The Lion City Sailors gear up for Friday night’s (17 September) top-of-the-table Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against league leaders Albirex Niigata (S), knowing exactly what needs to be done, and what is at stake.
Beat the White Swans and they will seize the initiative in the title race – they will still need maximum points in the remaining three matches to become league champions for the first time – but at least the Sailors will remain in control of their destiny.
Anything less than three points on Friday means the fate of the SPL trophy will be out of their own hands, and the Sailors will have to hope for favours from Tampines Rovers and Tanjong Pagar United, Albirex’s last two opponents before the 2021 season comes to a close.
Knowing the magnitude of this fixture, midfielder Adam Swandi described this as a ‘do-or-die’ mission against his former club – with whom he won the 2018 SPL title.
“We ought to have the mindset that if we slip up once more, we’re done for the title,” said the 25-year-old. “Being an ex-Albirex player, I know that their players are not going to pull back.”
“In 2018 even when we were already champions with a few matches left to play, we still went out in those games to go for the win and to score as many goals as possible,” said Adam. “That’s the mindset of Albirex Singapore – we, the Sailors, need to match that desire to win.”
The stakes are high, but Shahdan Sulaiman called for a calm, assured approach.
“Everyone knows how important this game is so there isn’t a need to put extra pressure on ourselves,” said the 33-year-old. “We don’t have to overthink about our opponent – that’s only going to give us more stress and be afraid to make mistakes.
“We just have to take this as any other game, follow the coaches’ instructions for us and I’m sure we can get three points from this – we know we have the ability to.”
In a season where they have been under three different head coaches, the Sailors have done well to stay on course and navigate through choppy waters.
With Aurelio Vidmar leaving to pursue other opportunities in late April, Sailors Under-21 coach Robin Chitrakar took charge of the first team for three matches before the highly-acclaimed Kim Do-hoon came on board in late June.
The Sailors have managed to quickly adjust to off-field changes and are now getting to grips with Kim’s philosophy and tactical system.
The South Korean’s emphasis on physical training has also paid off, with the Sailors demonstrating that they have enough in the tank to come from behind to claim points – they have managed that in four out of six outings under the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“It always takes some time to adjust whenever a new coach comes in, but we’ve been coping well and you can now see the effects of Coach Kim’s training,” noted Shahdan.
“In the past few matches, we have finished very strongly. We managed to equalise late (in 1-1 draws) against Balestier (Khalsa) and Hougang (United), and we also pushed all the way till the end against Young Lions (in last Sunday’s 3-1 win) to get the win. That shows the amount of hard work we’ve put in during training.”
Kim has also displayed shrewd player management to get the best out of a squad overflowing with talent. Players like Hafiz Nor, Faris Ramli, Tajeli Salamat and Adam – who have played peripheral roles previously – are now getting more regular minutes, and delivering on the pitch.
“He’s a pretty fair coach in the sense that if you perform in training and are willing to work hard, he will play you,” said Adam. “That’s the biggest apparent change under Coach Kim.
“Hafiz doesn’t usually start, but he was chosen to be in the eleven for the last game because he impressed in training. It’s a very positive thing that the coaching staff recognise the work you put in.”
Adam is now looking forward to a more positive outing against Albirex than the last one (a 1-1 draw at Jurong East) in July. He got his first professional start in more than two years in that match, which was also Kim’s first game in charge, but lasted just 10 minutes before limping off due to a grade-two hamstring tear.
Having returned to full fitness, the 2018 Young Player of the Year looked lively when he came on in the 56th minute against Young Lions and is hoping for a starting spot on Friday, even if he still has a soft spot for Albirex.
It was there that Adam truly matured as a player – but he is not about to hold back against his former employers.
“I’m still very good with the general manager, Koh Mui Tee and (kit man) Roy Krishnan. I always enjoy a good conversation whenever I see them, and I also chat with my former head coach (now technical director) Kazuaki Yoshinaga,” said Adam.
“I had a good season with them in 2018 and they really took care of me. Albirex has such a good environment for youngsters – I can see how players like Ong Yu En and Nicky Melvin Singh are doing well and maturing there. I still have my utmost respect for them, but now I’m a Sailors player and I’ve to do my job to help my team win the title.”
And Shahdan is delighted that Sailors fans have come out in force in recent weeks, and he believes the proverbial 12th man will play a big part on Friday.
“It’s really good to have the fans back and you can just see the celebrations when Jorge (Fellipe) scored the second goal against Young Lions on Sunday night,” he said.
“I’m sure their support and noise from the stands will spur us on to win the match – and win it for them.”
This Friday, 17 September, the Lion City Sailors will take on Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jalan Besar Stadium, in a match that could well decide the destination of the Singapore Premier League title.
The Sailors are honoured to have had fantastic support from Singapore football fans since restrictions were loosened to allow for 1,000 into stadiums, and we look forward to your continued support.
The club will continue to extend our open-door policy to Singapore’s Healthcare Heroes, who will receive free entry for this match. All our Healthcare Heroes will simply have to show ticketing staff any form of work identification, such as a staff pass, to gain entry if they meet conditions for entry as listed below.
Ticketing Information
1000 Tickets Available
Ticket Categories
Season Pass 2020 & 2021 – Complimentary
Adult – $15
Concession – $5
Each Season Pass is entitled to redeem 2 tickets.
Non-season pass holders may purchase up to 5 tickets
*Concession tickets are applicable to the following, with Concession Cards and a recent Photo ID requested upon entry for verification purposes:
– Students aged 16 and below with a valid Student Concession Card,
– Senior Citizens aged 60 and above with a valid Senior Citizen Concession Card.
Ticket Sales
North Entrance of Jalan Besar Stadium
1745hrs-1945hrs: Season Pass Redemption and General Sale
*First 50 Season Pass holders who redeem tickets will get an exclusive Lion City Sailors towel.
Conditions of Entry
The following conditions must be met for entry to SPL matches:
- Individuals must have completed the full vaccination regimen including the two-week (14 days) period after the second dose for the vaccination to take effect. Eligible vaccines include the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or any other vaccine in the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL), including Sinovac-CoronaVac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca.
- Fans who produce proof of a negative Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result, will also be allowed entry. The ART must be valid until the end of the event and must be taken at a Ministry of Health-certified ART practitioner; self-test kit results will not be valid for use of entry.
- Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 will be exempted from having to produce a negative ART result, but will need to present a Pre-Event Test Exemption Notice from any clinic offering ART or PCR testing services.
- Fans are required to produce proof of their completed vaccination status via the TraceTogether or the HealthHub app on their mobile phone, proof of negative ART test or Pre-Event Test Exemption Notice along with a valid form of identification such as NRIC or driver’s licence for verification purposes.
- Individuals aged 12 years and below are allowed entry for SPL capped at 20% of the actual event size.
The Lion City Sailors were not at their best on Sunday night, having to dig deep to come from behind and overcome a spirited Young Lions side 3-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
With that, the Sailors extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches and whittled the gap between them and leaders Albirex Niigata (S) down to five points, with one game in hand.
Perhaps more importantly, the result means they will go into this Friday’s big game against the White Swans with the destination of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title still in their own hands.
Win that, and the other remaining three games, and the Sailors will be crowned league champions for the first time.
The significance of the Young Lions win was not lost on Sailors attacker Gabriel Quak, who scored the team’s third goal a minute into injury time to seal a hard-fought victory.
“We knew that if we could not win this one, we’d be going into the Albirex game too far behind them, and they would have the upper hand,” reflected the 30-year-old. “This was a really tough one to negotiate, with the Young Lions playing exceptionally well in the first half.
“But ultimately football is a 90-minute game and I’m very proud of how our team fought in the second half – sometimes you just have to win ugly. Destiny’s still in our own hands and we have to keep it this way.”
The Sailors have Jorge Fellipe to thank after a poor first half that saw the Young Lions go 1-0 up, courtesy of Ilhan Fandi’s 11th-minute header. The towering 1.9m Brazilian defender first netted the equaliser five minutes after the break, nodding home Shahdan Sulaiman’s pinpoint corner.
The Sailors then huffed and puffed but simply could not bring the roof down the second time, despite peppering the Young Lions’ goal with one shot after another. Stipe Plazibat did put the ball into the back of the net in the 65th minute when he headed in Diego Lopes’s cross, but it was ruled out for offside.
Stipe then had to be stretchered off following a crude Syahrul Sazali challenge on his left ankle, leaving the Sailors to navigate the final 10 minutes with a man less although the Young Lions were also down to 10 after Raoul Suhaimi’s 68th-minute dismissal.
Kim Do-hoon’s men looked like they would drop points for a second matchweek running, before big Jorge altered the complexion of the title race in the 85th minute, with one magical swing of his left boot.
Deployed upfront for the majority of the second half, the 32-year-old was sprawled on the ground after seeing his goalbound header parried away by Ridhwan Fikri. But he was quickly back up on his feet to meet Tajeli Salamat’s delicious right-wing cross with an equally sweet first-time volley into the bottom left corner to put the Sailors 2-1 up.
Tearing off his shirt in celebration as the Sailors fans went delirious in the stands, Jorge described it as “the most important goal” of his career.
“I’m very happy to be able to directly contribute to the team. I’m a team player so it’s very important for me to do something to help the team win a difficult game,” said the defender who scored two goals in a game for the first time in his career.
While many were surprised to see Jorge finding space at the far post to score with his feet – not his head – the man himself revealed it was something that he and the team had worked on during training.
“During the week, I was training for this kind of situation and I managed to score a couple of goals like that in training,” he shared.
“When I realised Taj was in the same position as we practiced, I signaled to him that I wanted the ball and I positioned myself to receive it as I did in training. Once the ball came towards me, I was very confident I was going to score.”
Gabriel then put the result beyond doubt late on as he calmly finished beyond Ridhwan after some quick thinking from fellow substitute Faris Ramli who played a quick free-kick to put him through on goal.
That was Gabriel’s 10th goal of the season, the first time that the 2020 SPL Player of the Year has hit double digits in a league campaign. While happy to have achieved the personal target that he set for himself, Gabriel is focused on the bigger picture.
“Huge credit to Faris – the moment he won the free-kick, we made eye contact and we knew at that moment what we wanted to do,” said the Singapore international, who also has three assists to his name.
“I’m definitely pleased to hit double digits as I’ve always said attackers are always judged based on goals, but I also hope people can recognise not just the numbers, but also my overall play and contribution to the team,” he said. “The most important thing is that what I do helps the team cross the finish line to win the championship.”
The Sailors have displayed an ability to come from behind to claim points in recent games – they have done so in four out of the six outings under Kim – illustrating the team’s indomitable fighting spirit, but Gabriel believes it is something that should not continue to happen.
“It’s always enjoyable to come from behind to win, but if you look at the bigger picture we’re always trailing and that’s not good, is it? How many times do we want to go through this before we get punished?” he questioned candidly.
“We have to learn from this. Hopefully this result against Young Lions is the turning point and can give us the spring going into our final four games.”
The victory was slightly dampened by Stipe’s ankle injury, which looked bad despite him hobbling back onto the pitch in the final few minutes to complete the match, and it remains to be seen if he will be passed fit in time for Friday’s big game against Albirex.
“I just hope it’s not as serious as we thought and everyone in the team wishes him a speedy recovery,” said Gabriel. “He’s a very important player for us so we hope he comes back into action soon.”
The Lion City Sailors welcome three additions to the club’s growing backroom crew, as the club looks to continue to strengthen existing capabilities beyond the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
The trio come with football pedigree from across Asia and Europe.
South Koreans Myung Jae Yong and Kim Young Kwang join from Ulsan Hyundai as Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) winners, joining countryman Kim Do-hoon, the recently appointed Sailors Head Coach who was the chief architect of Ulsan’s 2020 ACL triumph.
Myung will take on the role of Assistant Coach, while Kim Young Kwang is a Video Analyst.
Firdaus Maasar, the third addition to the Sailors’ crew, cut his teeth in English football, providing sports science support to English Premier League giants Liverpool, as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town. He then served as a Football Physiologist at Qatar’s Aspire Academy – one of only three top-rated (three-star) AFC Elite Youth Academies in Asia – before signing up to the Sailors’ project, as the club’s Physiologist.
The Lion City Sailors Football Academy is a one-star AFC Elite Youth Academy, the only AFC-accredited academy in Singapore.
The Sailors take on Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening (12 Sep), and the trio will join the fray immediately, to provide a boost in Kim’s men push for the club’s first ever SPL title in the final five games of the season.
The Sailors are five points adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S) with a game in hand. And with the White Swans hosting Geylang International on Saturday, 24 hours before the Sailors face Young Lions on Sunday, the gap could potentially grow larger before the Sailors next take to the field.
Myung is looking forward to the christening.
“The Sailors project is wildly exciting, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help build something as ambitious as this,” said the man who won the Korean FA Cup as a player and as a coach.
“I’m excited to work with Coach Kim again, and believe that together we can bring on-field improvements and success to the Sailors as we’ve done in the past.”
Fellow South Korean Kim Young Kwang is no stranger to Singapore football – he was a forward with SPL side Balestier Khalsa in 2011, scoring 8 goals in his solitary season here – and he’s looking forward to achieving success in Singapore.
“I have many good memories of Singapore and the league, and I’m very happy to be presented with another chance to win something here, even if I cannot help on the pitch any more,” said the 34-year-old.
“These last five games are important for us and our aim of winning a trophy this season, but my work goes beyond that, to helping the club raise levels in the long run.”
Firdaus still gets teased about the photograph of him on the job at Liverpool with Egyptian star Mo Salah, and he hopes that his work with the Sailors can inspire a similar reaction in the future, especially with the club’s philosophy of excellence already in place.
“The experience of giving sport science support to English Premier League teams was invaluable, and not just because I had the opportunity to work with top-level footballers in a world class environment, but also because I had to step up to match the level of excellence required of every single person in the organisation,” said the 35-year-old.
“I see a very similar approach here at the Sailors, and I’m excited to be able to bring my experience to help establish a similar system here.”
LCS Chief Executive Chew Chun-Liang is similarly excited, looking forward to what the trio will bring to the table, in the Sailors’ quest for football excellence in Singapore.
“It’s important that we continue to attract top level talent to the club as we aspire to success both on and off the field. These talents we bring in are not just to drive success at the Sailors, but also to help us build and grow local talents and capabilities in their respective areas as we aim to spark a change in Singapore football,” said Chun-Liang.
“All three of them bring different skills with them, and we are confident that in the long run, they will contribute greatly to our cause. What we’re crossing our fingers on, is that they will have an immediate impact, and help drive us to the SPL title this season”
Mdm Andriani will be the proudest person amongst the attendees at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening when the Lion City Sailors take on Young Lions in a crucial Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash.
Of course she would, both her sons are set to line up on opposing sides of the pitch, with Haiqal Pashia featuring for the Sailors while the younger Rezza Rezky plays for the Young Lions.
Born almost two years apart, the siblings have played alongside each other in the 2019 SPL season with Young Lions and also featured together for the Singapore Under-22s in the Merlion Cup in the same year.
This will be their first time playing against each other at the professional level, after a missed opportunity in May when the two sides last met. On that occasion, the Sailors eked out a 1-0 win courtesy of a Shahdan Sulaiman free-kick, but Pashia was pulled off on the 58th minute mark before Rezza came on during the dying moments of the game.
While he is looking forward to a competitive duel against his younger brother, Pashia empathises with his parents who are finding it hard to choose allegiances for this one.
“The only time we played against each other was probably during social football!” chuckled the 22-year-old. “It’s going to be rather weird for my family – usually my mum and close friends will be at the stadium whenever I play, while my dad usually watches from home.
“I’m really looking forward to playing against him. Obviously I want to help my team win the title but I also want him to show his abilities at the same time. All I can say is may the best team win.”
The middle child of three boys, Pashia grew up in a football-obsessed household with his elder brother Refi Raditya, also a fanatic of the beautiful game despite not making it to the top.
Pashia and Rezza did, earning spots in the various national age-group squads, then eventually entering the professional game here.
While the duo enjoy a close relationship, sharing both on-pitch and life issues with each other, there is also a healthy sibling rivalry with both looking to push each other to greater heights in their football careers.
“We’re always somehow competing with each other – one thing we always talk about is who’s going to be the first one to earn a Singapore cap?” shared Pashia. “We used to be quite harsh with each other when we were teammates and we often pointed out each other’s mistakes on the field, but it was always all good when we stepped off it.
“It’s actually good to have a brother who is as competitive as I am because it drives me to be better, and we are ultimately working towards the same goals. We both want to go far and our target is to play for the national team together in the future.”
Pashia feels a tinge of sadness that he and Rezza no longer train then go home together since his move to the Sailors in 2020, but is proud that his brother is now charting a path of his own.
20-year-old Rezza has been a consistent starter in the Young Lions’ engine room in recent games, while Pashia is also a first-team regular for the Sailors now.
“I guess that’s the process of growing up where we can’t always be together,” he said. “It’s not easy for him juggling NS (National Service) and football at the moment, so I’m really proud to see him performing well and getting regular minutes in the SPL.
“My family is incredibly proud to see both of us getting to where we’re at right now, especially after all the work we’ve put in since we were young.”
For 90 minutes on Sunday though, Pashia will set sentiment aside as he looks to get the Sailors back to winning ways against a dangerous Young Lions side.
While the Sailors have won all four encounters between the sides since their 2020 inception, Philippe Aw’s boys will likely pose a stiffer test this time – the Young Lions have won three out of their last five games.
A frustrating 1-1 draw against Hougang United two weeks ago left Kim Do-hoon’s charges five points adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S), and with the White Swans hosting Geylang International on Saturday, 24 hours before the Sailors face Young Lions on Sunday, the gap could potentially grow larger before the Sailors next take to the field.
During the international break, the Sailors have been hard at work, fine-tuning their attacking moves, and Pashia hopes that will pay off these last five games of the season.
“We’ve been doing a lot of crossing and finishing, and that’s perfect: now’s the time to produce the goods in games,” he emphasised.
“There’re still some tough games to come, against Albirex and Tampines Rovers, but that’s what we have to overcome if we want to win the title. We just have to forget that draw against Hougang and keep our focus to win every remaining game.”
Eleven Sailors’ Women in Lioness squad
The Singapore National Women’s team has come together to prepare for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, with coach Stephen Ng calling up a 23-strong Lioness squad that features 11 players from the Lion City Sailors’ Women’s team (Photo above courtesy of the Football Association of Singapore).
The Lionesses face a unique challenge, taking on Indonesia in Group C over two matches – scheduled for 24 and 27 September – in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with the team that amasses the most points from these fixtures earning a spot in the tournament proper in India next year.
This is the result of the other two teams in Group C – DPR Korea and Iraq – withdrawing from the competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If both Singapore and Indonesia are level on points after the 27 Sept fixture, they will undergo a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
“The Sailors’ women’s team managed to maintain our thrice a week training schedule throughout the past two years despite the pandemic restrictions that were placed on all teams, and our players are physically well prepared,” said Yeong Sheau Shyan, head coach of the Sailors’ women.
“We’ve also focused on individual skills in tight areas so our players are more confident in 1v1s and crowded areas,” added Sheau Shyan who is also on national duty as an assistant coach of the Lionesses.
She revealed that the Lionesses have not had any international encounters for almost two years now, and it will be hard to predict what sort of team Indonesia will put out, and how they will play.
“We expect them to be tough opponents, but on our part we have put in a lot of work. We have trained five times a week since June – in a training bubble – to make sure we are as prepared as we can be,” said Sheau Shyan.
Sailors’ Lionesses: Beatrice Tan, Ernie Sulastri, Nur Syazwani Ruzi, Nur Umairah Hamdan, Dorcas Chu, Ho Hui Xin, Venetia Lim, Nur Izzati Rosni, Sara Merican, Lila Tan, Danelle Tan
Barely a week after attaining his Singapore citizenship earlier this month, Song Ui-Young received his first call-up to the Singapore National Team for a series of training sessions during the ongoing FIFA international window.
It was a dream come true for the 27-year-old, who first stepped foot in Singapore nearly 10 years ago as a wide-eyed teenager who was simply hoping to establish his career as a professional footballer here.
Now, Song is chomping at the bit to repay the faith that the country has shown – on the pitch as a Lion – but is simply lapping up every bit of his first sessions as a Lion-in-waiting.
It was like being a young footballer all over again.
“I was honestly nervous the night before my first training session. I kept tossing and turning on the bed, and found it hard to get to sleep!” he admitted. “But when I finally stepped onto the pitch, I felt right at home. Everyone, from my teammates to the staff, to coach Tatsuma Yoshida has been wonderful to me since day one.”
Song joins fellow Sailors Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Tajeli Salamat, Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Hafiz Nor, Gabriel Quak and Faris Ramli in Yoshida’s squad that was released by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on 26 August.
“They all gave me a very warm welcome to the team, which I really appreciated. They’re all great to work with, and I’ve really been enjoying myself so far,” added the Sailors midfielder.
It wasn’t until around 2015 that Song, having by then formed a deep affinity and connection to Singapore, first began thinking about the possibility of donning the Lions jersey.
With that goal in mind, Song embarked on the long – and at times, arduous – process of applying for Singapore citizenship.
The rest, as they say, is history.
And Song is now focused on writing a new chapter of his career – and life – and enjoying the challenges of the process.
“I’m still trying to understand and get up to speed with coach Tatsuma’s playing philosophy and tactics. It will take some time, but I’m doing my best to try and get myself familiar with how he wants us to play,” said Song. “But I’ve learnt a lot of new things from coach Tatsuma, which is great, because this means that I’m improving as a player”
Song has set his sights on the next target of his budding international career: winning the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship – now known as the Suzuki Cup – with Singapore.
“If I can help to win the (Suzuki Cup) tournament for my country, I will be happier than anyone else!” said Song, who is the first footballer from South Korea to be granted Singapore citizenship.
“It’s a big honour to get called up for the National Team, and I will work hard and do my best to show what I can do. Hopefully, that will be enough for coach (Tatsuma) to select me for the Suzuki Cup at the end of the year.”
Song, however, knows that the competition to break into the Lions first-team will be fierce, especially with stalwarts such as his Sailors teammates Hariss Harun and Shahdan Sulaiman having already established themselves as key members of Singapore’s midfield.
“I want to be at the top of my game so that I can help the Lions in the best way I can.” he said.
Nonetheless, Song believes that the strong understanding he has formed with Hariss and Shahdan at club level will stand him in good stead, and more importantly, benefit the Lions as they look to win their fifth AFF Championship this year.
Song, who has scored three goals so far this season, explained: “I have been playing with many of the National Team players for a long time, so there won’t be any problems working together with them. The understanding and connection between all of us is strong, and we believe in one another.
“The great thing is that I believe we have a group of talented players in the Lions squad. All of these players have different strengths, and are committed professionals, so I am confident that we can do well as a team.”
The last time Singapore won the AFF Championship was in 2012 – coincidentally, the same year that Song first came to Singapore.
While admitting that it will not be easy for Singapore to see off the likes of Vietnam and Thailand to become champions of Southeast Asia, Song is confident that the Lions have the talent within their ranks to go all the way in the competition.
And Song himself is determined to do all he can to bring glory to Singapore – as a way of thanking the country and his supporters for believing in him.
“I’m so grateful to have received a lot of support from football fans in Singapore over the years, and I’m determined to repay them for their belief in me by working hard and playing well for the Lions,” Song declared.
“Now, what I’m looking forward to the most next is playing my first match for Singapore, in front of the fans – I’m sure that will be such an exciting experience, and I can’t wait to perform on the pitch for them!” he added.
“The experience overall has been an absolute dream for me. Wearing the Singapore jersey feels especially amazing, and it gives me that extra motivation to work harder every day in training.”
As the final whistle sounded at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night (27 August), shoulders sagged, and hands immediately went onto hips, as eyes looked down at the turf.
The Lion City Sailors endured a frustrating evening in a 1-1 draw with Hougang United in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), and while they rescued a point late on, the draw seemed to have the feel of a defeat.
The result handed the title initiative back to league leaders Albirex Niigata (S). The Sailors are now five points behind the reigning champions, with a game in hand and just five matches left to play.
On Friday, the Sailors peppered the Hougang goal, chalking a total of 25 shots, but in a lapse of concentration, went behind to a 51st minute Anders Aplin header – Hougang’s only shot on target on the night.
“After the game, the coach told us that if we want to be champions, we have to overcome this tendency of giving away soft goals,” said Faris Ramli. “I cannot say we didn’t defend well during the game – we did – but that one moment, that one lapse, cost us the three points.
“We really cannot afford to keep conceding cheap goals and we know that. We just need to get back on the training ground, work even harder and try to defend better as a team,” added the 29-year-old.
Hougang clearly set up shop to pack their backline and limit the space, and the Sailors were unable to find clear inroads with Croatian hot shot Stipe Plazibat often tightly marked whenever he entered the Cheetahs’ box.
Early into the second half, Kim Do-hoon’s men were hit with a Hougang sucker punch. Kaishu Yamazaki’s deep free-kick into the area found Aplin, who jumped uncontested to nod the visitors ahead.
The Sailors rallied after going behind, with the introduction of Hafiz Nor – who replaced Saifullah Akbar – proving to be an inspired move, with the winger making an impact just four minutes after coming on.
Charging down the right flank, the 33-year-old gave Yamazaki the slip, then bamboozled Aplin before putting in a tantalizing cross for Stipe to head home the equaliser.
But like Faris, Hafiz was gutted that the Sailors did not get the victory they were gunning for.
“Watching the game from the bench, I couldn’t wait to come on, I knew I could do something,” said the Singapore international. “I gave it my all and followed the coach’s instructions to just attack defenders head-on.
“I’m happy that my efforts paid off with an assist, but it’s really frustrating to not get a win.”
The Sailors piled on the pressure late in the game, and Kim’s charges almost found a way past the resolute Hougang defence deep into injury time. First, Jorge Fellipe’s goal bound header was denied by a top-drawer save by Izwan Mahbud.
Then seconds later, Faris was denied what could have been a winner against his old employers. His low drive looked set to nestle in the bottom left corner, but ex-teammate Nazrul Nazari appeared from nowhere to clear off the line.
“It was nice to see familiar faces and old friends again, but once we stepped onto the pitch we understood the need to maintain a distance during the game – it’s work,” said Faris. “Also it was such an important game for my team that I didn’t focus on the fact that I was playing against my old club. I just wanted to get the victory for us, but it didn’t happen.
“I guess Nazrul is someone who quite understands my play, and he probably knew where I was going to shoot,” rued the 2019 SPL Player of the Year. We tried everything and gave our all, but sometimes things just don’t go our way and the ball just doesn’t go in.”
Despite the disappointing result, the fate of the SPL trophy still lies in Sailors’ hands. The equation remains the same: if the Sailors can win their final five games – which includes a crunch clash against Albirex on September 17 – they will be crowned league champions.
Faris has seen enough positives from the team to believe that the Sailors will be able to last the distance.
“We’ve been improving our understanding as a team. You can see from the way we move together and cover each other during games,” he explained. “As long as we continue in this manner and listen to Coach’s instructions, there will be good things for us at the end of the season.”
As for Hafiz, the return of fans – up to 1,000 fans are now allowed at SPL matches – is something he believes will give players an extra push going into the business end of the season, and perhaps even spur the Sailors on to break the six-year SPL dominance of foreign teams, Albirex and Brunei’s DPMM FC.
“There was a fantastic atmosphere at Jalan Besar tonight and it’s so nice to see all the fans coming down to support us,” he said. “They gave us that extra boost, especially when we have to chase a game.
“Hopefully we continue to see such healthy attendances at games to give us further motivation. We really want to be the first local team to win the SPL after so many years.”
Song gets first Lions call-up
Lions’ boss Tatsuma Yoshida has called up a total of 22 players – with 11 from the Lion City Sailors’ squad – for a series of training sessions during the upcoming FIFA international window starting on 31 August.
This includes a first call-up for Song Ui-young, who last week announced his successful application for Singapore citizenship.
“We are fully supportive of our national cause, and take immense pride in having our own Sailors represent Singapore,” said Sailors’ Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang.
“It makes it extra special that Song has also received a call-up to follow up on his Singapore citizenship and take his first step towards becoming a full-fledged Lion. I’m glad he will have his Sailors’ family to rely on at his first Lions’ training sessions.”
Singapore Sailors
Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Tajeli Salamat, Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Hafiz Nor, Gabriel Quak, Faris Ramli, Song Ui-young
Hougang United was his first club when he first arrived in Singapore in 2016, and it was also his first port of call three years later when he returned to the Singapore Premier League (SPL) after an unproductive spell in Thailand.
He is still on very good terms with the club’s management and of his ex-teammates, but ahead of the Lion City Sailors’ clash with the Cheetahs at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night, Stipe Plazibat was adamant that there will be no room for sentiment.
“I’m very grateful for what Hougang has done for me and there’ll always be mutual respect,” said the 31-year-old. “I’m still very good with everyone at Hougang from coach Clement (Teo), general manager Matthew (Tay) and my old teammates,” said Stipe.
He left Hougang for Bishan twice – the most recent instance was in the 2020 mid-season transfer window – and he is now leading the Sailors’ charge for what would be the club’s first-ever league title.
“It’s nice to see your friends, but there’s no discount for anyone. I’m sure they’ll be tough on me on the pitch and I’ll be tough on them as well.”
And there is good reason for the aggressive Hougang approach that Stipe expects.
The Cheetahs are still in with a fighting chance to win the league. They are five points behind second-placed Sailors – and eight behind league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) – but have played a game more.
The Sailors did not enjoy the best of starts to the 2021 season, collecting just four points from a possible nine, languishing fourth in the eight-team standings after the first three rounds.
The 3-1 loss to Hougang that came during that period in March proved to be the Sailors’ only defeat this term. Since then, they have gone on a club record 12-game unbeaten run – amassing 30 points from a possible 36.
A change of coach and playing system did little to hinder the Sailors’ championship quest, as they picked up successive victories over Tampines Rovers (4-1) and Tanjong Pagar United (2-1) after kick-starting Kim Do-hoon’s reign with 1-1 draws against Albirex and Balestier Khalsa.
Now three points behind leaders Albirex with a game in hand and with a better goal difference, the Sailors know they have fate in their own hands. As long as they win their final six games – including a match against Albirex on 17 Sep – the Sailors will land their hands on the coveted trophy.
“In the beginning we were still trying to find our feet as a new team and we needed some time to adjust to each other, but we slowly progressed and you can see the improvement now,” explained Stipe.
“Under Coach Kim, training sessions are longer, tougher and more physically demanding. The football style is more industrial than before, but we’re gradually adapting to his philosophy and it’s good that we are winning again after two draws,” he added.
“We have six cup finals left and we just have to take each game as it comes to achieve our target.”
After a good debut year with the Sailors – he netted nine goals and chalked up five assists in seven starts – Stipe has carried that form into his first full season with the club with 13 goals and seven assists in 15 starts.
The 2020 SPL Golden Boot winner is now three goals behind Hougang’s frontrunner Tomoyuki Doi and has every chance to finish top scorer again this year, but is not fixated on that target. Instead, it is the team’s ultimate goal that is foremost on Stipe’s mind.
“Honestly the most important thing is that we win the league. If my goals help us to achieve that and also help me to win the Golden Boot, that will be great, but my priority is the league title,” he insisted.
And Stipe is hoping that he will be the third time lucky, this after some wretched luck saw his teams fall short of the title in the past two years, as he missed crucial games at business end of those seasons.
In 2019, Stipe was absent for the final two games for Hougang due to injury as the Cheetahs agonisingly missed out on their first-ever league title. Then last year, a hamstring injury meant he only played a bit part role – just 6 minutes – in the Sailors’ final five games as they eventually finished third behind Albirex and Tampines.
“Hopefully this year I will stay healthy all the way till the end of the season to help my team,” said the hotshot, who has a grand total of 76 SPL goals in 93 appearances. “I have a good feeling this year might be the year that I finally win the league.”
Should the Sailors lift the SPL trophy on the final day of the season on 2 October, it will be double happiness for Stipe – who is set to welcome the birth of his first child, a son, later that month.
Now living alone in his Bishan apartment because his wife Marija had flown back to Split in July to prepare for the delivery, he is hoping to make it back to his native Croatia in time to witness the life-changing moment.
“She was with me in Singapore from July 2019 until last month,” revealed Stipe. “Right now, there’s nothing much I do every day – sometimes I will go cycling with (Sailors Head of Performance) Mario Jovanovic, and maybe go to the supermarket to top up whatever I need at home. If not, it’s only between Bishan and Jalan Besar for training and matches.
“Hopefully the team can achieve our target of winning the title. Then I can happily go home to my wife and son.”
Stipe is also looking further to the future, after seeing teammate Song Uiyoung secure his Singapore citizenship last week.
Stipe – who is now into his fifth season in Singapore across two spells – is also hoping to sink roots in the Lion City.
“I’m so happy for Song – he’s been trying so hard for 10 years, and he’s finally become a Singaporean,” said Stipe.
“I’ve also always said I want to set up my family here, and hopefully if all goes well, I will try to apply to be a Singapore PR (permanent resident) next year.”
