Lion City Sailors aim for international success after third consecutive Deloitte Women’s Premier League championship

SINGAPORE – The Choa Chu Kang Stadium was filled with excitement on Sept 15 as the Lion City Sailors celebrated their third consecutive victory in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL). Blue and silver confetti showered down on the team as they secured the title and a prize of $25,000 with a commanding 6-0 win over Still Aerion.

But things were not quite the same as compared to previous years. Going into the final match of the season, it was not just a three-peat on the line, but also another appearance in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League.

Having had that first taste of continental competition in August, the Sailors were hungry for the chance to keep testing themselves against regional sides.

Their inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) campaign in Jordan may have ended in the preliminary stages following a 4-1 loss to India’s Odisha FC and a 5-0 defeat by the host’s Etihad Club, but it also spurred them on to make a return to the competition.

“After we experienced the AWCL for the first time, the stakes were a lot higher so coming into this game, we were very determined to win the league to go back and play in the AWCL next year,” said forward Raeka Ee, whose teammates presented her with a cake in celebration of her 22nd birthday the day after.

“Getting to achieve that with this team after a season of ups and downs has been really fulfilling.”

It was a must-win fixture for the Sailors as they were second behind Albirex Niigata, who were two points ahead but had played a game more.

The defending champions took just five minutes to take the lead as Nur Syazwani curled the ball in for Ee to head into Still Aerion’s net.

Ee scored with a sleek lob in the 31st minute – her 18th of the season – to double the Sailors’ lead going into the break.

Sarah Zu’risqha made it 3-0 in the 60th minute, as the scoring spree continued. A long-range effort from substitute Nurhidayu Naszri extended the Sailors’ lead, before goals by Sarah and Nur Ain Salleh capped off an emphatic night for the team.