The second round of the 2026/27 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season gets underway on Friday, with three fixtures offering sides an early chance to build momentum or respond to opening-day setbacks. FC Jurong will look to extend their impressive winning run when they host Hougang United, while Balestier Khalsa and Tanjong Pagar United meet in search of their first points of the season. Young Lions, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back against a Geylang International side that began the campaign with a victory.
Jurong aims to keep the winning streak alive against Cheetahs
Jurong welcomes Hougang to Jurong East Stadium on Friday night on the back of a seven-match winning run. Six of those victories came at the end of last season, and Jaswinder Singh’s side carried that momentum into the new campaign with a commanding 4-0 win over Young Lions in their opening fixture.
Toa Suenaga made an immediate impact with a brace, while Andrew Aw and Shunsuke Ono also got on the scoresheet. Hassan Sunny also made several important saves as Jurong secured a clean sheet to give Singh’s side a winning start to the new season.
Hougang will provide a different challenge after showing plenty of promise in their opening fixture against defending champions Lion City Sailors. The Cheetahs raced into a two-goal lead before eventually being held to a 2-2 draw, with Ayman Kassimi and Oakley Cannonier both scoring on their league debuts for the club. Akbar Nawas will be hoping his side can carry that attacking threat into Friday’s clash.
Jurong won their last three league meetings with Hougang dating back to the start of last season, and will be looking to extend both that record and their seven-match winning streak. Much of the attention will also be on Keisuke Honda, who was listed as a member of the team staff for the Young Lions match. Singh said after the game that the former Japan international may not yet be match-ready, meaning his much-anticipated SPL debut may have to wait until after the upcoming international break.
FC Jurong vs Hougang United | Friday, 18 September | 7:30pm | Jurong East Stadium | Watch on YouTube or meWATCH
Tigers and Jaguars seek first points of the season
Both Balestier and Tanjong Pagar will be looking to get off the mark when they meet at Bishan Stadium on Saturday night. The Tigers opened their campaign with a 2-0 away defeat to Tampines Rovers, while the nine-man Jaguars lost 1-0 to Geylang.
Balestier showed promise despite the defeat, and Marko Kraljevic’s side will be looking for a more clinical performance in front of goal this time around as they seek their first points. Tanjong Pagar, meanwhile, remained in the contest despite being reduced to nine men.
Balestier are unbeaten in their last 10 league and cup meetings with Tanjong Pagar, winning nine and drawing one. The most recent encounter ended in a 6-0 victory for Balestier, with midfielder Tin Matic scoring a hat-trick. Tanjong Pagar will be looking to buck that trend with a revamped squad that includes former Stags hitman Boris Kopitovic and playmaker Masahiro Sugita, who makes his return to Bishan to face the side he represented for the past three seasons.
Balestier Khalsa vs Tanjong Pagar United | Saturday, 19 September | 7:30pm | Bishan Stadium | Watch on YouTube or meWATCH
Young Lions target response as Eagles look to build
Young Lions will be hoping to bounce back when they host Geylang at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday night. Firdaus Kassim’s side opened the season with a 4-0 defeat to Jurong and will be aiming to end a six-match winless run stretching back to last season.
Geylang, meanwhile, head into the encounter with three points already on the board after edging Tanjong Pagar 1-0 in their opening fixture. New Eagles striker Dejan Račić will be one to watch, given his impressive record against the Young Lions. The Croatian striker had at least one goal involvement in each of the four league meetings against Young Lions during the 2024/25 season with former side Hougang, recording four goals and one assist.
The last two meetings between the sides have ended in draws, with the teams playing out a 1-1 result last February before a 2-2 draw in May. Geylang will look to build on their winning start, while Young Lions will aim to respond with a first victory of the campaign.
Young Lions vs Geylang International | Saturday, 19 September | 7:30pm | Jalan Besar Stadium | Watch on YouTube or meWATCH
