Singapore captain and Lion City Sailors FC skipper Hariss Harun has urged his teammates to stay composed ahead of a crucial period that could see the nation qualify for the AFC Asian Cup and the club revive their ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup campaign.
Singapore face Hong Kong on Tuesday, where victory would move them closer to their first Asian Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 1984.
“We are excited but need to keep calm,” said Hariss. “It’s a big time for everyone in Singapore — we just have to give our best and trust that our hard work will be rewarded.”
Singapore currently sit second in Group C of the Asian Cup qualifiers for the 2027 finals in Saudi Arabia, and Hariss’ focus will soon shift to leading the Sailors in Shopee Cup Group B ties against Bangkok United on December 4 and Shan United on Dec 17.
The Sailors are aiming to bounce back from their 3-1 loss to Johor Darul Ta’zim FC in their opener. “We’ve got a strong team on paper, but we still have to get the job done,” said Hariss.
“Last year, we didn’t perform well in the Shopee Cup, even though we showed our quality by reaching the AFC Champions League Two final. This time, we want to get out of the group and go further.”
Hariss said the team’s goal is to establish the Sailors among Southeast Asia’s elite, joining the ranks of Johor Darul Ta’zim and Buriram United.
“Everyone wants to win the Shopee Cup, but there’s only one champion,” he said. “We’re motivated to prove that we belong at that level — and this competition is the perfect stage to do it.”
