September 2025 – SailorFanTalk

[Preview] Return to Bishan – Lion City Sailors vs Selangor

Leave a Comment / Match Previews / Chin Heng Tan

While they do not have the latin flair of their rivals JDT, Selangor has traditionally been a powerhouse of Malaysian Football. However, with their struggles on and off the pitch, there may not be a better time to take on the Red Giants this season. Crunching The Numbers Selangor have not started their season well, with a strong opening to the Shopee Cup being the only bright spot in their campaign so far, after holding Buriram to a 1-1 draw away and beating Tampines 4-2 at home. In the ACL2, Selangor fell to an opening day loss to Bangkok United at home, while 2 wins from 5 in the Malaysian Super League leaves them squarely in mid-table. Sailors, on the other hand, are top of the SPL table with 3 wins from 3 and rescued a 1-1 draw late on away to Persib on ACL2 Matchday 1 (as well as a 3-1 loss against an ineligible JDT lineup in the Shopee Cup). However, the underlying numbers of the respective league seasons so far suggest that this match will be a very close affair. The two clubs are currently only separated by 0.1 points on the Opta Club Rankings with Sailors on 66.7 and Selangor on 66.6. Both teams have also had no problems scoring goals so far, with Selangor’s attack, spearheaded by former Buriram forward Chrigor Moraes, creating 2.21 xG and scoring 1.8 goals per game, while Sailors averaged 1.94 xG (….and 4.67 goals hahaha) per game. Nothing separating the 2 sides in the Opta Club Rankings The glaring weakness for Selangor though, seems to lie in their defence. They have conceded 1.63xG and 1.6 goals per game on average in the league so far, vs Sailors who have conceded 0.50xG (and 0.33 goals) per game. Selangor have also averaged lower possession, passes and shots than their opponents in the MSL this season. A Club in Crisis? After a bad start to the season, Selangor sacked their coach Katsuhito Kinoshi last week after less than a year on the job, despite guiding the team to Silverware last season. As a result, several former players and analysts have stepped forward criticizing the Selangor management for this questionable decision. Selangor U23 head coach Christophe Gamel has taken on the role of interim head coach while the club looks for a permanent replacement, and as Selangor had no league game last weekend presumably due to the Sultan of Selangor Cup, the ACL2 game against Sailors represents Gamel’s first competitive game in charge. The Quicktime TeamViewer As usual, I’ll leave this section to Joseph Chin who takes us through the key figures in this Selangor side —————————- Man on the Hot Seat – Christophe Gamel is typical of the modern day managers with undistinguished senior careers to boast of. With exposure at various levels of youth and women’s football (including a stint at the PSG Women’s Team), the journeyman manager has earned diverse cultural exposure and passport stamps having coached in Hungary, Fiji, Algeria, Belgium, Vietnam and even Malaysia with Sri Pahang under the legendary Dollah Salleh. Having been part of the Selangor hierarchy soon after his assistant manager role at MacArthur, the former reserve team boss will look to stabilize the ship after the sacking of their previous manager, and a decent tenure as one of the better Fiji managers of the modern era would have served the Frenchman in good stead. As mentioned previously, both Mohammad Abdulnadi and Noor al-Rawabdeh bring big game experience and World Cup qualification as mainstays for both Selangor and the Jordanian National Team. But having played a 532 last matchday against Bangkok United, a good few members of their team cannot be ruled out as threats in the ACL Two GK: While half-Malaysian Englishman Samuel Somerville makes for a good backup in goal, the goalkeeping duties seem to be shared unequally between Kalamullah al-Hafiz and Sikh Izhan, with the former being more consistently used in goal. Azim al-Amin has been capped at youth level so the competition for the one slot seems to be intensified. DF: Quentin Cheng was on the bench during the recent Causeway Derby, and remains an option in defence alongside another familiar face in Kevin Deeromram. The latter played against the Sailors with Port last season and both fullbacks may feature alongside Abdulnadi and centrebacks Ghanaian Richard Ankrah and Malaysian national team stalwart Harith Haiqal. Academy talents Zikri Khalili and Shahrul Nazeem and former JDT returnee Fazly Mazlan round off their loaded lineup, and with even all these backups being capped for the Harimau Malaya at times, their defence will look to offer a better effort at resistance as compared to their previous match. MF: Nooa Laine started against our Lions in September, and the half-Malay Flying Finn will look to dictate the pace from midfield alongside al-Rawabdeh. Having been at the receiving end of a major thrashing from us last season, Picha Autra will have something to prove after arriving from Muangthong United (although he will have to make do as an impact substitute) while also competing for places in the congested Thailand midfield. Both Aliffs of Selangor (Izwan and Haiqal, who happen to be native sons of the state) remain wildcard options from the bench, as is the experienced Mukhairi Ajmal. FW: Faisal Halim’s recovery to regain his place in the starting lineup after a horrific acid attack by unknown assailants in 2024 has seen the supremely talented flanker being rewarded with the club captaincy after Safuwan vacated his post. That same fighting spirit will be key in galvanizing both himself and his team mates in tackling one of their toughest opponents in the ACL Two. Zach Clough brings high level experience from the English Championship and the A-League Men, and as much as he can flit between the flanks or overload the attacking midfield, the well travelled Alvin Fortes (Cape Verde) and Omid Musawi (Afghanistan) are experienced options with experience for both club and country. Former Buriram man Chrigor

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Persib Away – A Fan’s Perspective

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Anatolii Kalugin

As my plane landed in CGK, I didn’t know what to expect from this away day. Having been advised by 10 different people to stay safe and try not to die, I was very curious, to say the least. After experiencing the miracle of Chinese engineering, the KCIC high-speed train, I arrived in Bandung in just 30 minutes. Driving through flooded streets of this somewhat rundown city during a thunderstorm made me feel a bit of melancholy. But the game wasn’t going to watch itself, and I found my way to the stadium within hours. I alighted in the middle of a carpark already swarming with Persib fans 2 hours before the game. Heading to the security check – an extremely lazy pat down – it wasn’t the most reassuring thing. When I finally made my way to the stands, thousands of Bobotoh were already in their seats, chanting and waving their flags long before the starting whistle. Kickoff The match begins. Immediately LCS plays a compact defence with sporadic attacking attempts from the flanks. Both teams had several set pieces early on and you could hardly imagine the pressure they were experiencing from the stands. Sturdy defending from the Sailors throughout the first half, with a couple of good 1v2 saves. But the opponent kept pressing high and having the initiative. Similar tactics we have already seen before – employed last season when LCS played against stronger opponents in the international competitions. You could say it’s a controlled burning – draining the rival and capitalising on counterattacks. However, I didn’t think we would play like this against Persib. This tactical setup was not the only thing I had doubts on. Ivan Sušak and Anderson Lopes were included in the starting XI. I am sure Ivan is a great goalkeeper; but there were doubts if he can regain his confidence after a shaky start to his Sailors journey. I was glad to see that he regained at least some of it, judging from his performance in the first half. As for Anderson, being an expensive signing and having a strong resume, he surely will be under pressure. He hasn’t delivered thus far. The Persib game was a great opportunity to silence the doubters, including myself. He got the ball a lot, made some decent runs but whenever he got into a duel, he tended to fall to the ground hoping to earn a foul. Was it a lack of desire? Is it his age? Maybe he still wasn’t used to the team and the climate? Whatever it is, in entire first half his play just seemed like it lacked something just as it was in the previous games. After the first 15 minutes we still sat in our own third and I was getting worried. LCS have already conceded a couple of close calls, while being generally unsuccessful in their attacking attempts. Diogo was once again the main engine behind our transitions from defence into offence and making several great tackles near our box. A counterattack and Maxime has the ball. Seems like he’s got a clear shot from his favourite angle but instead he passes to Anderson and… the ball is lost. At some point it seemed like the attacking game was forced to go through Lopes although I was not sure about the reasoning behind that. Maybe time will tell if this all comes together. After some solid defensive performance, the opponent finally is getting tired and allowed us more possession of the ball. Again, most of the plays went through Anderson but instead of dribbling or passing he chooses to dive. After several attempts at this, it was clear that the ref doesn’t reward this kind of behaviour. The game calms down by the end of the first half. The Mistake The second half starts and… we concede. A defensive mistake and we are behind. The momentum from the first half was lost, due to the lack of concentration. Now Persib falls back, and the initiative is fully on LCS. The game becomes much more open. Persib is going through the substitutions fast. As for us, surely, after underperforming the entire game Anderson had to be subbed off, right? No. Bringing Lenny on to pair up with Lopes and switching from 5-at-the-back to 4-4-2 helped LCS create a lot more chances. Still, no goals from our side. 80 minutes in and just 1 substitution. I started to get flashbacks to last season’s ACL Two final where all the subs happened too late. Chris and Shawal finally come into the game – the ultimate attacking lineup is now on the pitch. At The Death Stoppage time. The pressing from us is never-ending. Battling in the opponent’s box. Lenny jumps and… a brilliant header. The fans around me jump from their seats and nearly break down the railing. I am trying to keep a straight face not to end up in the railing. But the game is not over yet. The Sailors have another chance to score and grab the 3 points but it is saved, a quick counterattack by Persib, a cross, a jump, a header… and what a save by Ivan. Now I know, he’s truly back. Final whistle. Disappointed home crowd scolding their team. Time to get away from the stadium. Conclusion Half a box of Decolgen and a mediocre late-night room service later, I’m heading back to Singapore, generally content with this trip. Our defensive game is becoming better. Tsiy keeps proving to be crucial to the team (and potentially the best signing of this summer). Lenny continues to deliver. Should he be our starter instead of Anderson? Or is he better off being a super-sub? I guess, we’ll see from the upcoming games. (Editor’s Note: Anderson scored a brace against TPU!) As for Bandung and Persib, I commend their fans’ determination and love for their club. And, thankfully, we’ll spot fewer of their keyboard warriors in our comment sections At least for now.

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[Preview] A Score To Settle – Persib vs Lion City Sailors

Leave a Comment / Match Previews / Joseph Chin

It feels surreal to be talking about football despite the volatile situation in Indonesia, as much as the hostile away day is a test of the mettle of our squad. Football remains a means of social escape for the fans, a functioning public institution amidst the chaos. While there is some semblance of familiarity from our last meeting in Bandung (like the heavily fortified stadium and Bojan Hodak in the dugout), this preview will discuss the key personnel changes and how we can approach the start of the new ACL Two campaign. Key differences from last year As usual, in the world of ASEAN football, the incremental improvement in the quality of foreigners necessitates a ruthless clear-out of past heroes. GK – Kevin Ray Mendoza has left for Chonburi, as much as the key Azkal required a bigger stage to perform and cement his continued relevance to his national team. Adding to the three local backups, the Bandung Tigers has recruited Welshman Adam Przybek to be the main custodian in goal. The former England and Wales youth international has not had the best of senior careers after graduating from West Brom and Ipswich, being a backup before his breakthrough season with Welsh Premier League club Penybont. Having played a starring role in Penybont’s second placed finish and qualifying for Europe in the process, Persib wasted no time in plucking the half-Polish custodian from the UEFA Conference League bound club for the ACL Two. The extra 5cm in height (1.92m as opposed to Kevin Ray’s 1.87m) and European experience was perhaps what Persib was going for, similar to Ivan Susak complementing Izwan Mahbud. DF: Fran Putros is a familiar face for our side, scoring for Port FC before the season-defining second half heroics last year. Although he might provide insider knowledge to nullify some of our threat, the headline signing at the back is Eliano Reijnders, brother of Manchester City and Holland international Tijjani. Eliano plays for the homeland of his Indonesian mother, as a foreign-born heritage player turbocharging the Garudas towards continental success. A quick start in the ACL Two, like how his brother contributed a goal and assist (to Erling Haaland, no less) on his league debut would go a long way to endearing him with the demanding Persib fanatics. Argentinian defender Patricio Matricardi (from FC Botosani), Brazilian Julio Cesar (from Chiangrai) and former Italy youth international Federico Barba (from FC Sion) completes the recruitment at the back. Given the near unlimited number of foreign players that can be fielded, it would be very difficult for the likes of Zalnando and Alfeandra Dewangga to see minutes. MF – While Marc Klok and the delightfully named “Beckham” Putra have remained as key creators for Persib, these local talents might have stiff competition in the midfield engine room. Thom Haye, a midfield schemer in the mould of Ramselaar, comes highly rated from Almere City, having gained his Indonesian passport through the heritage route. Long-serving youth team product Febri Hariyadi might also feature, complementing their new signings closer to home. Luciano Guaycochea from Perak and the Brazilians William Marcilio (Arema) and Berguinho (Borneo) may seem underrated at first, but familiarity with the local conditions might be a way to counter the technical football we would be looking to play. Expect these players to make appearances off the bench to inject an element of surprise in the later stages. FW – Bringing Saddil Ramdani home from Sabah was a masterstroke, having earned caps for Indonesia while also making strides in the AFC Cup with the Malaysian side in the 2023/24 season. It is a much-changed frontline, with the aging trio of Ciro Alves, David and Tyronne del Pino making way for Uiliiam Barros, Ramon Tanque and Andrew Jung. While it is a similar approach to last year (Frenchman Jung combining with 2 Brazilians), their relatively lightweight resumes in the likes of the Kuwaiti, Cambodian and Greek leagues do not bode well for the big shoes left by their predecessors to be filled. The short-lived stint of Curacao international striker Gervane Kastaneers might be indicative of the problems Persib have in getting a quality finisher who are able to cement a place in the club’s midterm plans. How about us? At the risk of jinxing it, ACL2 nights are made for the likes of Anderson Lopes to succeed despite a slow start in the league. While the increased foreign presence may lead to a more tactical game, more akin to chess than boxing, the goalscoring return of Abdul Rasaq allows us more game changing wildcards to use especially in tense matches and unpredictable conditions. SFT Predicted Line-up Ivan Safuwan, Toni, Bailey, Diogo Hariss, Rui, Tsiy Maxime , Lennart, Bart SFT Score predictions Written by Joseph Chin If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk, you may want to visit https://ko-fi.com/sailorfantalk and leave us a tip!

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