SINGAPORE, 1 JUNE 2025 – In a tightly contested affair at Jalan Besar Stadium, Lion City Sailors emerged victorious over BG Tampines Rovers with a narrow 1-0 win to clinch the Singapore Cup. The final, a cagey and fiercely competitive encounter, was ultimately decided by a moment of precision and pressing. 

Early in the second half, a costly error at the back saw Hami Syahin dispossess Miloš Zlatković. Song Uiyong fed Maxime Lestienne, who delivered a clever cutback to Bart Ramselaar in the 49th minute. The Dutchman’s deflected strike from close range wrong-footed Syazwan Buhari and rippled the back of the net. 

The Stags pushed for a response but struggled to find the breakthrough against a disciplined Sailors backline. This disciplined professional showing grew to be the modus operandi of the Sailors Class of 2024/25 that made a habit of getting the job done.

Sailors complete domestic sweep

With this result, Lion City Sailors completed a clean sweep of all domestic titles, an unprecedented first for the club. It capped off a dominant year for Aleksandar Ranković’s side, who also impressed in the inaugural AFC Champions League Two. 

The Sailors became the first Singapore side to qualify for – and host – a continental final, but were edged out 2-1 by United Arab Emirates’ side Sharjah FC at the Bishan Stadium.

“In a final, it’s all about winning,” said Ranković after the match. “It doesn’t matter how you do it, (and) today, I felt we did a great job. My players were in control throughout, and apart from one chance at the end, we didn’t give them many opportunities.” 

Turning his eyes towards the horizon, Ranković knows there will inevitably be more pressure heaped on his Sailors.

“I told my players before the match that winning this cup would raise the bar we’ve already set. We’ve achieved big things this season – especially in the ACL2 and by winning the league – but this goes beyond just our team,” he said.

“We want to set the standard for the generations to come.” 

Stags fall short

For BG Tampines Rovers, the narrow defeat marks a painful end to a campaign that saw them finish as runners-up in both the Singapore Premier League (SPL) and the Singapore Cup.

“Obviously, we’re not satisfied because we are winners – we want to win,” admitted Stags’ Head Coach Gavin Lee. “Nights like this hurt us and sting us very badly.”

Despite the heartbreak, Lee managed to find a sliver of a silver lining.

He said: “As a club, we’re always looking to do better than last season. So, I think in terms of the league, Singapore Cup as well as the Champions League, I thought we have done better than last season.” 

A long season draws to a close

The Singapore cup final brough the curtain down on what has been a long and demanding domestic season, one that kicked off over a year ago in May 2024 and concluded with the Cup final at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening.

While Ranković and Lee declined to be pulled into their plans for the next season SPL season that is pencilled in to kick off in August, it is clear that the Stags and Sailors have already started work – all to raise the SPL bar higher than they and the rest of the league have set in the past season.