Kyoga Nakamura and BG Tampines Rovers celebrate their opening goal in the Eastern Derby, 29 October 2024
SINGAPORE, 30 OCTOBER 2024 – BG Tampines Rovers closed in within three points of Singapore Premier League leaders Lion City Sailors after an emphatic Eastern Derby 3-0 victory over Geylang International, while Balestier Khalsa consolidated fourth spot with a thumping of hapless Tanjong Pagar United. Elsewhere, Albirex Niigata (S) continued their fine form with a comeback win over Hougang United. We recap all the action here…
Hapless Jaguars defeated again
Tanjong Pagar 0-5 Balestier | Jurong East | 28 October
Ismaïl Sassi 15′, Kodai Tanaka pen. 38′, 49′, Ignatius Ang 45+1′, Jordan Emaviwe 80′
There was no way back for the Jaguars after Sassi rifled them ahead in the first half. Tanaka then lashed home from the spot, before Ang produced a delicate lob over Prathip Ekamparam to give the visitors a three-goal lead at half time. Tanaka gobbled up a rebound for his second, before Emaviwe connected well with Tajeli Salamat’s free-kick to complete the rout.
Facts
- Tanjong Pagar are winless in their last 10 matches, while Balestier ended a four-game winless streak.
- Tanaka extended his season tally to 17 goals
- Ang has now reached six goals for the season, doubling his previous career best of three goals from 2018 with Warriors FC.
Tanjong Pagar: Prathip Ekamparam (GK), Syed Akmal, Timur Talipov (Daniel Elfian 46’), Shahrin Saberin (Farid Jafiri 72’), Zenivio Mota, Azim Akbar, Rezza Rezky, Faizal Roslan (C), Tomoki Wada (Ahmad Danial 57’), Syahadat Masnawi (Sahil Suhaimi 72’), Shodai Nishikawa (Arsyad Basiron 79’).
Unused subs: Riki Kimura (GK), Umar Akhbar, Curtis David Gray, Tarunn Kannan.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh (Fudhil I’yadh 78’), Jordan Emaviwe, Tajeli Salamat, Harith Kanadi (Reycredo Bukit 78’), Alen Kozar (C), Masahiro Sugita, Riku Fukashiro, Ismaïl Sassi, Kodai Tanaka, Ignatius Ang (Elijah Lim 57’).
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Wayne Chew (GK), Emmeric Ong, Amiruldin Asraf, Darren Teo.
Albirex Niigata (S)’s Daniel Goh and Shingo Nakano fuse for the cameras, 29 October 2024
White Swans continue renaissance
Albirex 2-1 Hougang | Jurong East | 29 October
Yohei Otake 85′, Shingo Nakano pen. 90’+3 | Stjepan Plazonja 42’
Hougang had looked good for the win after leading for large periods of the game, with Plazonja benefitting from Shahdan Sulaiman’s through ball to rifle them ahead. However, Albirex mounted a late comeback with Otake firing home a rebound after Yojiro Takahagi’s shot had come off the crossbar, before Nakano converted from the spot to seal the three points.
Facts
- Albirex have now won their last four SPL matches.
- Hougang are winless in their last six league outings.
- Nakano has scored 16 goals in 14 SPL appearances this season.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Ryhan Stewart, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni (C), Gareth Low (Syed Firdaus Hassan 62’), Yojiro Takahagi, Junki Yoshimura, Yohei Otake, Haziq Kamarudin (Daniel Goh 68’), Arya Igami Tarhani (Arshad Shamim 81’), Shingo Nakano.
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Syukri Bashir, Ho Wai Loon, Daniel Martens, Kenji Austin.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Ensar Brunčević, Faris Hasić (Danish Irfan 17’, Petar Banović 90’+11), Jordan Vestering (Nazhiim Harman 73’), Zulfahmi Arifin, Shahdan Sulaiman, Gabriel Quak (Hazzuwan Halim 73’), Stjepan Plazonja, Shodai Yokoyama, Dejan Račić.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Isaac Jonathan (GK), Justin Hui, Zamani Zamri, Tan-Vaissierre Louka.
Geylang International’s Shakir Hamzah jostles for position against BG Tampines Rovers’ Taufik Suparno, 29 October 2024
Stags finally find winning groove
Geylang 0-3 BG Tampines | Jalan Besar | 29 October
Kyoga Nakamura 35’, Miloš Zlatković 64′, Taufik Suparno 82′
Newly-minted Singaporean Nakamura fired home an unerring volley to put BG Tampines ahead, before Zlatković flicked home a brilliant header off Glenn Kweh’s corner to double their lead. Nakamura then turned provider with a superb through ball for super-sub Taufik to finish beyond the onrushing Rudy Khairullah, as the Stags returned to winning ways in style.
Facts
- BG Tampines ended a six-game winless streak in the league.
- BG Tampines won an Eastern Derby in the league for the first time in seven encounters – their last SPL victory over Geylang came back in August 2022.
- Nakamura scored in back-to-back SPL appearances for the first time since May 2019.
- SPL current top scorer Tomoyuki Doi failed to find the net for just the fourth time in 18 matches this season.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Joshua Pereira (Nur Ikhsanuddin 88’), Rio Sakuma, Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah (C) (Ahmad Syahir 81’), Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt, Naqiuddin Eunos, Ryoya Taniguchi, Iqbal Hussain (Zikos Chua 46’, Akmal Azman 86’), Tomoyuki Doi.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Faisal Shahril, Syafi Suhaimi, Raiyan Noor, Hud Ismail.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Jared Gallagher, Shuya Yamashita, Miloš Zlatković, Amirul Adli (Irfan Najeeb 70’), Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Glenn Kweh (Taufik Suparno 70’), Joel Chew (Boris Kopitović 57’), Faris Ramli (Yasir Hanapi 85’), Seia Kunori (Saifullah Akbar 85’).
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Kegan Phang, Thanet Suknate, Kieran Tan.