SINGAPORE: With their sights set not only on defending their domestic titles but also on continuing their impressive form in continental competition, the Lion City Sailors have further strengthened their squads with two notable signings, Tsiy William Ndenge and Anderson Lopes from Grasshopper Club Zurich and Yokohama F. Marinos, respectively.
“The opportunity to sign a player of Anderson’s calibre was one we couldn’t pass up. He’s a proven match-winner with an elite mindset, and that’s reflected in his consistently outstanding performances at the highest level of Asian football. We’re excited to see what he’ll bring to the team,” said Sailors’ executive director, Mr Bruce Liang.
While Lopes has been plying his trade in Asia with Japanese, Korean, and Chinese clubs, it will be Ndenge’s first adventure in this region. Ndenge started his professional football career in Europe with Borussia Monchengladbach in 2015 before moving on loan to Dutch club Roda JC in 2017. The German-born footballer moved to Switzerland for the following campaign and played for FC Luzern before transferring to Zurich in 2022.
“I’ve had opportunities to continue in Europe, but what drew me to the Lion City Sailors was the clear ambition of the club and the project underway here,” said Ndenge, who made over 90 appearances and scored 15 goals for Zurich.
According to the Sailors, the 1.92-m tall central midfielder, who signed a two-year deal with the club, would add steel and stature to their midfield as he brings with him top-tier European experience and a commanding presence in the centre of the park.
“It’s an exciting challenge, and I like this feeling of helping a team achieve things that are not done before and create more history. I’m going to give everything to help this club succeed,” added the 28-year-old, who suffered a knee injury during his second season with Zurich.
The signing of Brazilian player Lopes from Japanese club Yokohama will undoubtedly add significant depth to the Sailors’ striking department, as head coach Rankovic will now be able to deploy a more versatile and potent attacking lineup, which includes prolific striker Maxime Lestienne, Lennart Thy from Germany, and the Lions’ attacking player Shawal Anuar.
“I’m thrilled to join the Sailors at such an exciting point in their journey. Their run to the ACL Two final last season really caught my attention, and I’ve been impressed by the club’s vision and ambition to elevate Singapore football,” said 33-year-old Lopes, who inked a three-year deal with the Sailors.
“My objectives are clear: I’m here to contribute, to score goals, to win trophies, and to help the team make a real impact in Asia.”
Lopes started his professional career in his native Brazil with Avai FC in 2013 and had spells in K League 1 with FC Seoul and the Chinese Super League with Wuhan FC for the 2018 and 2021 seasons, respectively.
He first made his move to Japan with Hiroshima in 2016, and switched to Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo for the 2019 campaign. It was with Yokohama that Lopes made his mark as a feared striker, netting 81 goals in 157 matches across four seasons from 2022 to 2025. In total, the 1.85 m forward racked up 101 career goals in the J1 League across stints with three Japanese clubs.
“To reach 100 goals in a league as competitive as the J1 speaks volumes about his quality, but it’s not just about his goal-scoring. Anderson is excellent at holding the ball up and just as capable of creating chances for his teammates. I’m confident he’ll be a tremendous asset to the team this season,” said Sailors head coach Aleksandar Ranković.
Both the new players, Ndenge and Lopes, have joined up with the rest of the team for the Sailors’ pre-season training. The club is currently in Thailand for a training camp from Jul 21 to Aug 1.
The latest announcement by the 2024-2025 Singapore Premier League champions comes a week after they secured the services of national team defender Safuwan Baharudin on loan from Malaysia Super League outfit Selangor FC.
The Sailors have also offered their head coach, Aleksandar Rankovic, a two-year extension with the club and converted defender Diogo Costa’s loan spell into a permanent move after a successful season in which he played a key role in the club’s historic treble-winning campaign.
Since taking the reins in June 2023, the Serbian native has guided the Sailors to four trophies, including a domestic treble last season, winning the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title, Singapore Cup, and Community Shield. Rankovic also lifted the Singapore Cup in 2023, just six months into his tenure with the club.
Head coach Rankovic will be looking to continue building on the strong foundation laid during a historic 2024–2025 season, including leading the club to the final of the inaugural Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two.
The Sailors became the first Singaporean side to reach the final of a major Asian club competition. Although the team narrowly fell 2-1 to UAE’s Sharjah FC, the campaign firmly cemented the Sailors’ reputation on the continental stage.
Another competition that the Sailors would probably focus on in the new season would be the regional ASEAN Club Championship (Shopee Cup).
The Singapore club was probably too focused on the ACL Two tournament last year, as they were eliminated from the Shopee Cup in the group stage. The Sailors ended the inaugural campaign in fifth place, chalking up a win and a draw, and lost their remaining three round-robin matches in the six-team group stage.
The new campaign will see the Sailors battling it out in Group B with Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia), Bangkok United (Thailand), Nam Dinh FC (Vietnam), and Svay Rieng (Cambodia). The winners of a playoff between Ezra FC (Laos) and Shan United (Myanmar) will make up the final team in the group.
Below are the Sailors fixtures for the 2025 – 2026 ASEAN Shopee Cup
- Aug 21 – Johor vs Sailors – Sultan Ibrahim Stadium
- Dec 4 – Bangkok United vs Sailors – BG Stadium
- Dec 17 – Sailors vs Ezra FC or Shan United – Bishan Stadium
- Jan 29 – Nam Dinh vs Sailors – Thien Truong Stadium
- Feb 5 – Sailors vs Svay Rieng – Bishan Stadium
