The final weeks of the 2024/25 season could prove historic and defining for the Lion City Sailors, as they remain in contention on three fronts – the Singapore Premier League (SPL), the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two, and the Singapore Cup.
After all, the Sailors are in the semi-finals of the ACL Two, hold a seven-point lead with a game in hand in the SPL, and are just a point away from booking their spot in the Singapore Cup semi-finals.
Next up for the Sailors is a rescheduled Singapore Cup Group B clash against Geylang International on Thursday, 27 March, following the conclusion of the final FIFA international window of the season.
One player who has been ever-present throughout this campaign is Croatian centre-back Toni Datković. The 30-year-old has already racked up an impressive 38 appearances across all competitions – with only Bailey Wright and Christopher van Huizen featuring more times than him.
“I’m feeling good and excited – my batteries are recharged for the business end of the season,” said Toni. “It’s not easy playing week in, week out for a team that’s expected to win every match, so the break was much-needed ahead of what’s going to be the most crucial part of the season.”
Toni – who spent the recent international break on holiday with his family on the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc – made his Singapore Cup bow in the 4-1 win over Balestier Khalsa on 16 March.
While the Sailors will be gunning for more of the same against Geylang International this Thursday, things will be slightly different this time – with as many as eight Sailors only returning to training a day before the match following their international duties.
Six of those started for Singapore in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Group C opener against Hong Kong on Tuesday night, with captain Hariss Harun, Lionel Tan and custodian Izwan Mahbud playing the full 90 minutes in a match that ended in a goalless draw.
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“I know it was a very important match for the Singapore national team. Many of our players were away on international duty, but it shouldn’t matter too much – we’ve dealt with situations like this before,” said Toni, who featured for the Croatia senior national team in a 2017 match against China PR.
“The boys might be a bit tired, but we’ll see how it goes. That said, we’ve got other players in the squad who can step up and make an impact, so it shouldn’t be a problem against Geylang.”
The Sailors are currently on a six-match unbeaten streak against Geylang – a streak that includes a come-from-behind 2-1 victory in the SPL back in January. On that day, it was Toni who sparked the turnaround, as he headed home a Maxime Lestienne corner to galvanise the Sailors.
“I’ve heard that we only need a point to go through, but of course we’ll be going for the win,” said a determined Toni, who once faced the likes of Villarreal in the prestigious Copa del Rey.
“We always step onto the pitch with victory in mind, and this game will be no exception.”
Of the Sailors’ eight goals in the Singapore Cup so far, five have come from Bart Ramselaar – including a hat-trick in the recent win over the Tigers.
Meanwhile, in the Eagles’ camp, Tomoyuki Doi has been in sensational form this season. The Japanese forward, who is joint-top scorer in the competition with five goals, has amassed a staggering 44 goals and nine assists across all competitions.
Earlier this month, the 27-year-old broke the record for the most SPL goals in a single season – a tally that includes a brace against the Sailors back in August, in one of the rare games Toni did not feature in.
However, Toni remains unfazed by the threat of Doi.
“Personally, I tend not to worry or focus too much about other teams’ forwards,” he said. “Those numbers are great for him (Doi), but I just focus on what I have to do in every match and stick to my usual game.”
Toni has been one of the standout performers for the Sailors, especially during a gruelling run of fixtures. The 31-year-old has not only fulfilled his defensive duties with consistency, but has also made key contributions at the other end of the pitch.
With four goals and four assists in all competitions, he ranks among the top five Sailors players for assists this season – an impressive feat for a centre-back.
“All our players have stepped up to the challenge this season across the various domestic competitions,” said the Pag Island native. “We’ve shown that we can handle pressure in the ACL Two, and we’ve done extremely well in both the SPL and ACL campaigns so far.”
El Sicario knows that knocking out Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the ACL Two was the stuff of dreams – and now, he believes the sky is truly the limit for the club.
The Sailors are the first-ever Singaporean side to reach the semi-finals of a continental competition since 2004, and can now look forward to more exciting challenges on the horizon – including a two-legged tie against Sydney FC, who boast former Bayern Munich and Juventus star Douglas Costa in their ranks.
“This is a very exciting period for the club. These are the times you live for as a player,” said Toni. “We’ll continue to fight and do our part to write a special chapter in Lion City Sailors’ history.”
