Ahead of the 2025/26 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, we look at each of the eight clubs participating in the domestic top flight. We kick off our series with the defending SPL Champions and Singapore Cup Winners, the Lion City Sailors!
Seasons: 6
Nickname: The Sailors
Highest finish: 1st (2021, 2024/25)
2024/25 finish: 1st
Chairman: Forrest Li
Head Coach: Aleksandar Rankovic
Captain: Hariss Harun
Key signings: Anderson Lopes (Brazil), Ivan Susak (Croatia), Safuwan Baharudin (Singapore)
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Fresh off the most successful campaign in their nascent five-year history, the Lion City Sailors are primed to make waves once again in the 2025/26 season.
The Sailors captured the Community Shield, Singapore Premier League (SPL), and Singapore Cup last season, marking the first domestic clean sweep since Albirex Niigata (S)’s feat in 2018. They romped to their second league title with 22 wins in 32 games, finishing eight points ahead of BG Tampines Rovers.
As part of their continued push for excellence, the Sailors have maintained the bulk of their title-winning squad, while bolstering it with a host of star acquisitions. This includes the likes of marquee forward Anderson Lopes from Japanese outfit Yokohama F. Marinos, a two-time J1 League top scorer, who plundered a total of 99 goals in 214 appearances in the Japanese top tier.
They also fended off competition from established European clubs to secure the signature of midfielder Tsiy Ndegne from Swiss side Grasshoppers. Reinforcements at the back include Croatian goalkeeper Ivan Susak and local fan-favourite centre-back Safuwan Baharudin.
Looking to build for the future, the Sailors have also secured fullback Diogo Costa on a five-year deal and promoted academy product Joshua Little to the senior squad.
This reinforced squad will serve Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Rankovic well as a demanding season awaits his charges. On top of their domestic commitments, the Sailors will also compete in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) and the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC), also known as the Shopee Cup.
The Sailors will kick off their campaign with a clash with BG Tampines Rovers in the Community Shield on 16 August, before heading across the Causeway to face Johor Darul Ta’zim in their Shopee Cup opener five days later. They will then begin their league title defence against Hougang United on 25 Aug.
Squad (as at time of publication)
Goalkeepers: Ivan Susak, Izwan Mahbud, Adib Nur Hakim
Defenders: Toni Datkovic, Bailey Wright, Lionel Tan, Safuwan Baharudin, Diogo Costa, Christopher van Huizen, Akram Azman, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Hafiz Nor
Midfielders: Rui Pires, Hariss Harun, Tsiy Ndenge, Song Uiyoung, Hami Syahin, Joshua Little, Bart Ramselaar
Forwards: Shawal Anuar, Maxime Lestienne, Anderson Lopes, Lennart Thy, Abdul Rasaq