Shawal Anuar excels as Lion City Sailors’ MVP on path to ACL 2 progression

Despite playing alongside stars like former Croatia player Toni Datkovic, Australian international Bailey Wright, ex-Dutch international Bart Ramselaar, former PSV Eindhoven winger Maxime Lestienne, and German Lennart Thy, the 33-year-old Singaporean forward has proven to be the best value for money in the team.

Shawal, who joined in December 2022 on a free transfer from Hougang, has 30 goals and 19 assists in 56 appearances for the Sailors since then. He is currently their top Singaporean goal scorer and assist maker in this Singapore Premier League (SPL) season with 11 goals and 10 assists in 17 matches.

He is also in a rich vein of form on the continental stage as the Sailors look to advance to the last 16 of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Two (ACL 2).

Shawal put up a Man of the Match display by contributing two goals and an assist in the 3-1 away victory over Thai club Port FC on Oct 30, which propelled the Sailors to the top of Group F, with seven points from three matches.

On Nov 7, the Sailors face Indonesia’s Persib Bandung at the Jalan Besar Stadium where a win, coupled with a Port victory over third-placed Zhejiang, will secure passage to the next round.

Shawal said: “I have always wanted to play and do well in a competition like the ACL 2. I was so happy to start and score. The journey to play in a professional league has not been easy so these moments will be very memorable for me.”

The forward, who was playing semi-professionally in the National Football League 11 years ago, said his form is a result of his mantra that “every season has to be better than the last one”.

Last season, Shawal scored 16 goals in all competitions and he is just two goals shy of that tally this campaign, with 15 matches to go in the SPL and a Singapore Cup campaign to come.

His football journey is especially admirable considering he has been carrying the nagging after effects from the surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2018.

Crediting the support of the club and the motivation from his family – his wife and three sons aged 14, two and six months, he said: “After every training and match, my knee feels really sore and I have to ice it. It is not easy at all.

“It is really about managing my workload and I am thankful to the club and coaches for understanding that. On my part, whenever I go out on the pitch, I give my all. Every opportunity I get, I want to prove that I belong here.”

Sailors coach Aleksandar Rankovic has only praise for his forward. He said: “He’s one of my MVPs (most valuable players) from the time I came here. He shows his quality almost every week when he plays. The only problem... with him is that he’s having some issues with his body, so we have to be very careful with him.”