Lion City Sailors FC will be flying the flag for Singapore in the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ as the country’s only representative in the inaugural edition of the showpiece event.
Having secured the Singapore Cup last season, the Sailors have set their sights on winning the Singapore Premier League (SPL) for the first time since 2021 this season while they will be equally determined to make a strong impression in the brand-new Shopee Cup.
Honours
Singapore Premier League (1): 2021
Singapore Cup (1): 2023
Singapore Community Shield (2): 2024, 2022
Club highlights
Since 2020, Lion City Sailors have consistently competed for top honours in Singapore winning the SPL in 2021 and finishing runners-up in 2022 and 2023 to Albirex Niigata (S). They also secured their first-ever Singapore Cup last year while emerging victorious in the Community Shield twice since the turn of the decade.
The Sailors are also not strangers in representing Singapore abroad as they featured in the group stage of the AFC Champions League both in 2022 and 2023. They are also set to be part of the AFC Champions League Two during the 2024/25 season and fight it out with Southeast Asia’s top clubs for the coveted trophy in the first-ever Shopee Cup.
Head coach: Aleksandar Rankovic
A defensive midfielder during his playing days, Aleksandar Rankovic began his coaching career as a youth coach at Dutch club ADO Den Haag before becoming part of the backroom staff at Vitesse and Sparta Rotterdam. Rankovic’s first role as head coach at the Hague side in 2020 was brief, but following further stints as an assistant at Sparta and Utrecht, the Serbian tactician moved to Singapore in 2023 to take charge of the Sailors where he has implemented an attractive brand of football.
Key player: Maxime Lestienne
Maxime Lestienne was in a league of his own last season bagging 25 goals and 21 assists in 24 league appearances alone. The Belgian winger also won his first major silverware in Singapore last season, accounting for six assists and a goal in the Singapore Cup. 30-year-old Lestienne will be keen to collect more trophies for the Sailors with his goalscoring heroics this season.
One to watch: Nathan Mao
Nathan Mao has already written his name into the history books, becoming SPL’s youngest-ever debutant at 15 years and 5 days old, the youngest to be part of an ACL matchday squad since 2012 and also the youngest to feature in a Singapore Cup final after starting last season’s title clash. The 16-year-old attacking midfielder will now be looking to cement a starting spot in the Sailors squad while also learning from the likes of Hariss Harun, Song Ui-young and Lestienne.
Did you know?
Hafiz Nor recently made his 100th appearance in all competitions for the Sailors becoming the first player for the club to reach the milestone.
Shopee Cup fixtures
Borneo FC Samarinda vs Lion City Sailors FC (22 August, 2024)
Công An Hà Nôi FC vs Lion City Sailors FC (26 September, 2024)
Lion City Sailors FC vs Kuala Lumpur City FC (9 January, 2025)
Lion City Sailors FC vs Buriram United (23 January, 2025)
Kaya FC-Iloilo vs Lion City Sailors FC (6 February, 2025)
Photo: Lion City Sailors Football Club
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