The curtain came down on another dramatic Singapore Premier League (SPL) season with 18 goals scored across four entertaining fixtures in the final matchweek. There were late winners, emotional farewells, twists in the race for continental football, and one last reminder of why the SPL continues to deliver compelling storylines right until the final whistle.
Balestier end their season in style with trademark attacking flair
Geylang United 3-4 Balestier Khalsa | Our Tampines Hub | 15 May
(Shuhei Hoshino 30’, Riku Fukashiro 32’, Mario Subaric O.G. 88′ | Daniel Goh 22’, Tin Matic 55’, Tajeli Salamat 78′, Ignatius Ang 90+6′)
Balestier Khalsa signed off on another impressive campaign with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Geylang International, underlining once again why they have been one of the most entertaining sides to watch this season.
Daniel Goh opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with an acute finish past Rudy Khairullah after a brilliant deep delivery from the in-form Jakov Katusa. But it did not take long for the Eagles to respond. Just eight minutes later, outgoing forward Shuhei Hoshino marked the final professional appearance of his career with a composed finish after Shodai Yokoyama’s purposeful run and cutback.
The momentum quickly swung in Geylang’s favour as Hoshino turned provider two minutes later, lofting a clever pass into the path of Riku Fukashiro, who volleyed home expertly to put the visitors ahead.
Balestier emerged from the break with renewed purpose and levelled in the 55th minute through Tin Matic, who surged through the middle before rifling a low effort into the bottom corner. However, the Tigers were dealt a blow when Lazar Vujanic was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 66th minute.
The numerical disadvantage lasted only eight minutes, though, as Nikola Ignjatovic was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Bogdan Mandic, leaving both sides to battle the closing stages with 10 men.
That opened the game up further and Tajeli Salamat produced one of the moments of the night, unleashing a stunning long-range strike for his first goal of the season to send the Tigers bench into celebration. Geylang, however, once again showcased the resilience that has characterised much of their campaign, equalising through a Mario Subaric own goal in the 88th minute.
However, Balestier had the final say. Deep into stoppage time, the Tigers pieced together a flowing sequence of one-touch passes around the penalty area before Ignatius Ang delicately lifted the ball over Yu Kanoshima to seal victory in dramatic fashion.
For Marko Kraljevic, it was a fitting end to another strong season – one where Balestier’s attacking football, spearheaded by the likes of Matic, Katusa and Mandic, secured them a third consecutive top-half finish.
Geylang’s defensive fragility proves costly
While Geylang International showed plenty of attacking quality in their final outing of the season, their dramatic collapse against Balestier was symbolic of a wider issue that ultimately derailed their campaign.
After finishing third last season, expectations were understandably high entering the 2025/26 season. However, the Eagles struggled to consistently replicate those levels, particularly in the attacking third where the absence of Tomoyuki Doi’s goalscoring influence was keenly felt.
There were still moments of quality throughout the campaign, particularly from the likes of Shuhei Hoshino, Riku Fukashiro and Vincent Bezecourt, but Geylang lacked the ruthlessness and defensive stability needed to sustain a serious challenge near the top end of the table.
At the top of Noor Ali’s concerns would will be the number of valuable points dropped late in matches. Similar collapses against BG Tampines Rovers, Young Lions, and now Balestier Khalsa highlighted a recurring fragility when protecting results in crucial moments.
For a side that has shown it can compete with the league’s strongest teams on its day, improving that resilience could be the key to ensuring they return stronger next season.
Geylang International: Rudy Khairullah (Yu Kanoshima 80’), Kim Tae Ho (Iqram Rifqi 46’), Shuhei Hoshino, Riku Fukashiro (Gareth Low, 90+7’), Joshua Pereira (C), Vincent Bezecourt, Nikola Ignjatovic, Shahdan Sulaiman (Amy Recha 89’), Shodai Yokoyama, Kaisei Ogawa, Nazrul Nazari
Unused subs: Aniq Matin Zulfadli, Ko Jaehyun, Raiyan Noor, Ryu Hardy, Faisal Shahril, Prince Rio Rifae’i, S C Denilson
Balestier Khalsa: Mario Mustapic, Tajeli Salamat (Aniq Raushan 87’), Mario Subaric, Madhu Mohana (C), Lazar Vujanic, Bogdan Mandic (Darren Teh 74’), Harith Kanadi (Fudhil I’Yadh 81’), Daniel Goh (Ilyasin Zayan 74’), Elijah Lim (Ignatius Ang 74’), Tin Matic, Jakov Katusa
Unused subs: Martyn Mun, Hafiz Ahmad, Dany Irfan, Ifat Sha’aban, Zamani Zamri
Red card – Lazar Vujanic (Balestier Khalsa) 66’, Nikola Ignjatovic (Geylang International) 74’
Albirex rediscover their edge at the perfect time
Albirex Niigata (S) 3-0 Young Lions | Jurong East Stadium | 16 May
(Zulqarnaen Suzliman 5’, Yang Hyeonju 29’, Shingo Nakano 67’)
Albirex Niigata (S) closed out their season with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Young Lions, piling the pressure on BG Tampines Rovers in the race for the coveted AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) spot.
The White Swans wasted little time asserting themselves as Zulqarnaen Suzliman continued his outstanding loan spell with the opening goal inside five minutes, curling a delightful effort beyond Izwan Mahbud.
Young Lions once again failed to defend set-pieces properly and were punished before the break when Yang Hyeonju combined cleverly with Katsuyuki Ishibashi before finding the net to double the advantage.
Firdaus Kassim’s side struggled to create meaningful openings in the second half, with Abner Vinicius providing their brightest moments going forward. Albirex, meanwhile, continued to dictate proceedings and wrapped up the points in the 67th minute when Shingo Nakano netted his 20th goal of the season to strengthen his claim for the Golden Boot award.
After an underwhelming 2024/25 campaign by their own lofty standards, Albirex have responded emphatically this season. The White Swans rediscovered the identity and intensity that has long made them one of the benchmark sides in Singapore football – and they pushed the ACL2 race right down to the wire.
Albirex Niigata (S): Hassan Sunny, Kim Taeuk, Komei Iida (Delwinder Singh 90+5’), Naoki Yoshioka, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Katsuyuki Ishibashi (Ren Nishimura 86’), Cho Eunsu, Abdul Rasaq Akeem (Soshi Kadowaki 90+5’), Yang Hyeonju (Takumi Yokohata 80’), Haziq Kamarudin (Nicky Melvin Singh 46’), Shingo Nakano (C)
Unused subs: Takahiro Koga, Dylan Pereira, Syukri Bashir, Danish Qayyum, Shakthi Vinayagavijayan, Aqil Zafri Junaidi, Sachin Kabilan Chandra
Young Lions: Izwan Mahbud (Ashman Saravanan 82’), Abner Vinicius, Andrew Aw, Amir Syafiz (C) (Louka Tan-Vaissierre 66’), Henry Spence (Nicolas Beninger 82’), Marcus Mosses (Fairuz Fazli 66’), Iryan Fandi, Nathan Mao (Garv Sahoo 78’), Andy Reefqy, Danial Herwan, Abdil Qaiyyim
Unused subs: Firman Nabil, Enrico Silveira, Caelan Cheong, Yazid Rizal Rais, Zaki Jumlan
BG Tampines rise to the occasion to secure continental football
BG Tampines Rovers 3-2 Lion City Sailors | Our Tampines Hub | 17 May
(Jacob Mahler 57’, Yuki Kobayashi 75’, Hide Higashikawa 79’ | Song Uiyoung 50’, Lennart Thy 59’)
With continental qualification on the line and their fiercest rivals visiting their backyard, BG Tampines Rovers delivered when it mattered most.
The Stags entered their clash against newly-crowned champions Lion City Sailors knowing that avoiding defeat would be enough to secure second place and a return to AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) football next season.
It was a tense and cagey affair in the opening half, with clear-cut opportunities at a premium. The game burst into life after the restart as Song Uiyoung curled home a magnificent effort in the 50th minute, following excellent work from Bart Ramselaar down the left flank.
To their credit, BG Tampines responded immediately. Jacob Mahler powered home a header from Kohya Kazama’s corner just seven minutes later to restore parity and ignite the home crowd.
However, Mahler’s joy quickly turned to frustration as he lost track of Lennart Thy just two minutes later, allowing the German striker to restore the Sailors’ lead with a deft glancing header.
The Stags refused to wilt. Yuki Kobayashi brought them level once more in the 75th minute with a composed curling finish after intricate build-up play on the left side.
The decisive moment arrived 4 minutes later. Hide Higashikawa, battling through injury in recent weeks, ghosted in at the back post to convert the winner and spark wild celebrations inside the stadium.
For William Phang’s side, it was a statement performance to close a turbulent season – one that secured continental football and reaffirmed the resilience and quality within this BG Tampines squad.
BG Tampines Rovers: Syazwan Buhari (C), Shuya Yamashita, Jacob Mahler, Shah Shahiran, Glenn Kweh (Tara Ndao 85’), Joel Chew (Taufik Suparno 68’), Irfan Najeeb, Hide Higashikawa (Raoul Suhaimi 85’), Takeshi Yoshimoto, Yuki Kobayashi (Seiga Sumi 78’), Kohya Kazama
Unused subs: Kasey Champlin Rogers, Ong Yu En, Amirul Haikal, Zikos Chua, Iman Hakim, Anton Goh, Naufal Mohammad
Lion City Sailors: Ivan Susak, Tsiy William Ndenge, Lennart Thy (Shawal Anuar 82’), Bart Ramselaar, Hariss Harun (C), Song Uiyoung (Hafiz Nor 76’), Nur Adam Abdullah, Christopher van Huizen (Hami Syahin 58’), Bailey Wright, Lucas Eliezer Agueiro (Anderson Lopes 46’), Kyoga Nakamura (Akram Azman 82’)
Unused subs: Adib Nur Hakim, Efan Qiszman, Rui Pires, Luka Adzic
Jaguars end difficult season on a high
Tanjong Pagar United 2-1 Hougang United | Jurong East Stadium | 18 May
(Anaqi Ismit 90+1’, Zenivio Mota 90+8′ | Saifullah Akbar 65’)
Tanjong Pagar United endured a difficult campaign, but the Jaguars gave their supporters something to celebrate on the final day as they fought back dramatically to defeat Hougang United 2-1.
With both teams struggling to find genuine cutting edge for much of the contest, it took until the 65th minute for the breakthrough to arrive. Neat interplay down the right flank ended with Settawut Wongsai delivering a pinpoint cross for Saifullah Akbar, who headed home unmarked at the back post.
Hougang looked in control after taking the lead, but their inability to build on it ended up proving costly. The Jaguars equalised in the first minute of stoppage time through substitute Anaqi Ismit, who reacted quickest to Faizal Roslan’s low cross.
Then came the decisive twist. As Hougang pushed numbers forward in search of a late winner, they left themselves exposed defensively. Huzaifah Aziz’s attempted clearance fell kindly into the path of another substitute, Zenivio Mota, who drove forward before rifling a shot past Ridhuan Barudin at his near post to complete the turnaround.
For Tanjong Pagar, it was only their second victory of the season – but one that offered a small reminder of the fighting spirit that Noh Alam Shah will hope to build upon moving forward.
Tanjong Pagar United: Kenji Rusydi (C), Syahrul Sazali, Kim Likwan (Sahil Suhaimi 44’), Syed Muhammad Akmal, Fathullah Rahmat, Faizal Roslan, Naqiuddin Eunos, Estevez Tsai Emilio, Vabio Canavaro (Anaqi Ismit 84’), Lee Chanwoo, Lougah Junior Djile (Zenivio Morientes Mota 65’)
Unused subs: Matthew Silva, Zaiful Nizam, Azim Akbar, Syahadat Masnawi, Naufal Ilham, Aloysius Pang, Samuel Pillai, Vincenzo Ucchino, Haziq Zulkifli
Hougang United: Ridhuan Barudin (C), Chonlawit Kanuengkid, Kanok Kongsimma (Washington Ayovi 55’), Huzaifah Aziz, Saifullah Akbar, Saharat Panmarchya (Rauf Sanizal 55’), Farhan Zulkifli, Settawut Wongsai, Nabilai Kibunguchy, Yuma Suwa, Jaushua Sotirio (Anders Aplin 72’)
Unused subs: Aizil Yazid, Rauf Erwan, Parinya Nusong, Brant Tan, Wong Ngang Haang, Syady Sufwan, Ganesan Silloren
