SINGAPORE -- It was only two seasons ago when Lion City Sailors pulled off a miraculous run to the AFC Champions League Two final -- becoming the first Singaporean club to ever reach a continental decider -- before ultimately falling to Emirati giants Sharjah in heartbreaking fashion.
But after that high, a seemingly-inevitable low would follow last term when -- with expectations now heightened -- the Sailors stumbled out of the competition in the group stage.
On Thursday, the reigning Singapore Premier League champions begin another continental campaign -- kicking off Group F proceedings at home to Thai League 1 outfit BG Pathum United at Jalan Besar Stadium.
As ever, hope springs eternal at the start of play and, while it might still be a realistic target to be aiming to at least reach the latter stages of the knockout round, Sailors captain Hariss Harun insists they cannot afford to be overly caught up by their heroics of the 2024-25 season.
"Talking about that campaign, it's in the past now," Hariss said, in Wednesday's prematch news conference. "It's history.
"We can use that as a reference but we live in the present. So we've got to really put our heads down and work really hard, and approach this first game with a lot of positivity.
"Whatever happened [before] is behind us.
"Every campaign, we want to start well to have that advantage or impetus going forward. It's no different."
Hariss, who has also skippered Singapore for the best part of a decade now, did however acknowledge that the journey they went along with their supporters during that fairy-tale charge is something the team would love to experience again.
"We're playing at home [on Thursday] and we want to give our fans something to cheer about," Hariss added.
"Because, speaking about reference to that special campaign, the fans were with us throughout. It was something special.
"That's something we will look to replicate. Having said that, it's tough. We have to acknowledge the challenge ahead."
Although Vietnam, on the international stage, have emerged in recent times to stake a claim to being the dominant force in Southeast Asia, Thai football has historically been the standard bearer in the region.
Thai League 1 champions Buriram United reached the knockout round of the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite in the past two seasons, a stage that the Sailors are hoping to return to after last featuring in 2023-24.
A positive result against a team like BGPU, who boasts some of the region's biggest stars in Chanathip Songkrasin, Sarach Yooyen and Kritsada Kaman, would go a long way in showing LCS are on the right path.
"In the last couple of seasons, we've shown we can compete," Hariss said. "We belong at this level.
"It's just about trying to push ourselves that little bit more to go that little bit further.
"With regards to Thai teams, I think we've given them a run for their money most of the time. Tomorrow we're playing at home. We want to use that to our advantage as best as we can.
"We have a [new] coach [Mark Jackson] who has good knowledge about Thai football. That will go a long way in helping up as well.
"Recent times have shown that we're there but it means nothing tomorrow. In that 90 minutes once we cross that line, we all know everything changes.
"We've got to perform and do everything to get that win."
