The Lion City Sailors are through to the semi-finals of the 2024/25 Singapore Cup after a Lennart Thy hat-trick inspired them to a 3-1 win over Geylang International at Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday (27 March) night.
This marked Lennart’s third hat-trick of the season, having previously achieved the feat in Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches against Tanjong Pagar United and Balestier Khalsa in February.
Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković rang the changes for the match against Geylang – their first since the recent international break – as he rested all six Singapore internationals who had started in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.
That reshuffle saw the Sailors experiment with a back three, which included Rui Pires being deployed in an unfamiliar centre-back role for the first time.
Meanwhile, Nathan Mao was handed his first start since the 2023 Singapore Cup final – just a day after celebrating his 17th birthday.
Despite the raft of changes, it was the Sailors who came flying out of the blocks, and they duly took the lead in the fourth minute.
Toni Datković notched his fifth assist of the season with a pinpoint long ball over the top of the Geylang defence, which Lennart brought down superbly before rifling a finish into the top corner for his first goal in the competition.
While the remainder of the first half offered little in terms of goalmouth action, Geylang did have a golden opportunity to equalise, but Rio Sakuma failed to hit the target from close range when it looked easier to score.
“In the first half, we were really struggling on the ball,” admitted Ranko. “When you’ve had so many matches and then suddenly don’t play for a while, it’s hard to find your rhythm again.
“But in the second half, we moved the ball quicker, the players put in a bit more running — and of course, that’s when the goals came.”
However, the second half told a different story altogether. Just four minutes after the restart, Nathan had a golden opportunity to net his first senior goal, but fired wide after being played clean through by Bart Ramselaar.
Geylang then had a chance of their own, but Vincent Bezecourt’s effort lacked the conviction to trouble Zharfan Rohaizad in the Sailors’ goal.
But the game’s complexion shifted in the 52nd minute, when Christopher van Huizen conceded a penalty after being adjudged to have brought down Shakir Hamzah in the box.
Geylang’s top scorer Tomoyuki Doi stepped up and rifled home a powerful spot-kick to level the scores at 1-1 and breathe new life into the contest.
“Geylang are a good team and they gave us a lot of trouble,” said Ranko. “They’re sharp on the ball and good at finding players between the lines. Luckily, they didn’t create too many chances — so credit to the team, we did that job really well.”
Song Uiyoung had a good chance to restore the Sailors’ lead soon after, but his effort rattled the crossbar — much to the frustration of the Sailors’ camp.
It did not take long, though, for Ranko to make a shrewd tactical switch, as he brought on Abdul Rasaq Akeem in the 63rd minute — a substitution that changed the flow of the game.
Just minutes after coming on, Rasaq clipped a delightful ball across goal for Lennart to head home from close range, restoring the Sailors’ lead in the 67th minute.
The lively forward continued to trouble the Geylang defence, as he forced a save from Rudy Khairullah before seeing another effort cleared off the line by Keito Hariya.
Ranko was full of praise for the Singapore international after the game, as he said, “Rasaq was excellent tonight, and I told him that after the game. He made crucial contributions to our win. He came on with energy and passion, won his duels — that’s exactly what he needed to do.”
Lennart then completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute, as he brought down a loose ball in the box with his chest, before volleying it into the bottom corner to make it 3-1 and put some daylight between the two sides.
Chris and Takahiro Tezuka had efforts at either end in the closing stages, but the Sailors remained largely untroubled as they comfortably saw out the match to keep their 100 percent record in the competition intact.
The result marked a third straight defeat for Geylang, while the Sailors extended their superb run of form — they have now lost just once in their last 17 matches across all competitions.
“We knew the importance of this match, and that it’s always tough for us against Geylang,” said Man of the Match, Lennart. “But we wanted to secure qualification as early as possible — and with this win, we’ve achieved our target of reaching the semi-finals.”
Next up for Ranko’s side is a clash with Thailand’s BG Pathum United in just three days’ time (30 March) — a showdown that will determine who tops Group B in the Singapore Cup.
The Sailors are relishing the chance to face yet another Thai League 1 outfit, with this remarkably set to be their sixth meeting with Thai opposition this season.
They will, however, take confidence from their strong record against Thai sides, having beaten Port FC and Muangthong United twice in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two, while also holding reigning champions Buriram United to a goalless draw in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.
“We love playing against Thai teams — we’ve shown that this season, so it’s another great test for us,” reflected Ranko on the upcoming clash.
“First and foremost, we need to recover over the next two days, then I’ll assess and decide who’s ready to play.”
