Geylang International’s Iqbal Hussain in action against Balestier Khalsa’s Riku Fukashiro, 28 July 2024
SINGAPORE, 29 JULY 2024 – The frontrunners are beginning to pull away, with league leaders BG Tampines Rovers defeating Albirex Niigata (S) to remain a point ahead of Lion City Sailors – who thumped Hougang United to keep pace. Young Lions dispatched Brunei DPMM to lift themselves to fifth, while Geylang International and Balestier Khalsa played out a thrilling draw. We recap all the action here…
Stags back to winning ways
Albirex 2-4 BG Tampines | Jurong East | 27 July
Arya Igami Tarhani 50’, Shingo Nakano 62’ | Seia Kunori 14’, Boris Kopitović pen. 33’, Shuya Yamashita 53’, Yasir Hanapi 57’
A corner routine saw Kunori rifling BG Tampines ahead, before Kopitović converted from the spot to double their lead. Igami then captialised on a defensive error to pull one back for Albirex, but Yasir then teed up Yamashita to head home from a corner before netting himself to put the away side 4-1 up. Nakano then reduced arrears with a towering header off Gareth Low’s cross, but it proved to be a mere consolation for the White Swans.
Facts
- BG Tampines are unbeaten in their first 10 games of the season for the first time since 2011 when they went their first 13 games without a defeat.
- Kopitovic has 16 goals in 14 appearances against Albirex in all competitions since coming to the SPL in 2020.
- Yasir scored his first league goal since July 2023 – also against Albirex in a 6-3 loss.
- Nakano has now scored seven in as many SPL appearances this season.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Junki Yoshimura (Arshad Shamim 59’), Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni, Gareth Low, Syed Firdaus Hassan, Ho Wai Loon (C) (Yojiro Takahagi 59’), Arya Igami Tarhani, Daniel Goh, Shingo Nakano, Shuhei Hoshino (Syukri Bashir 81’).
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Idraki Adnan, Daniel Martens, Hilman Norhisam, Kenji Austin.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb, Shuya Yamashita, Amirul Adli, Jared Gallagher (Syahrul Sazali 79’), Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Saifullah Akbar (Glenn Kweh 59’), Seia Kunori (Taufik Suparno 90’+4), Yasir Hanapi (Faris Ramli 59’), Boris Kopitović.
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Joel Chew, Thitipat Ekarunpong, Kegan Phang, Thanet Suknate.
BG Tampines Rovers’ Boris Kopitovic converting a penalty against Albirex Niigata (S), 27 July 2024
Young Lions rediscover roar
DPMM 1-3 Young Lions | Jalan Besar | 27 July
Hakeme Yazid pen. 32’ | Itsuki Enomoto 2’, 77’, Farhan Zulkifli 50’
Enomoto gave the Young Lions an early lead after being set up by a Farhan low cross, but DPMM equalised thereafter with Hakeme with a thumping conversion from the spot after Farshad Noor was brought down in the box. Nazri Nasri’s boys retook the lead through a firm Farhan finish at the back post, before Enomoto completed his brace and the victory with a lethal finish in the area.
Facts
- DPMM are now win-less in their last seven outings after winning their first two matches of the season.
- Young Lions has now doubled their 2023 tally of five points, after just 10 games in the 2024/25 season.
- Farhan scored his third goal of the campaign, after previously not netting more than one in a season.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Syafiq Safiuddin (Hanif Hamir 69’), Yura Indera Putera, Nurikhwan Othman, Najib Tarif (Abdul Mu’iz Sisa 83’), Farshad Noor, Gabriel Gama, Azwan Ali Rahman (C) (Azwan Saleh 69’), Hakeme Yazid, Miguel Oliveira, Nazirrudin Ismail (Nazry Aiman 64’).
Unused subs: Ishyra Asmin (GK), Faturrahman Embran, Haziq Naqiuddin, Abdul Hariz Herman.
Young Lions: Travis Ang (GK), Ryaan Sanizal (C), Jun Kobayashi, Kieran Teo, Nur Adam Abdullah, Kan Kobayashi (Amir Syafiz 74’), Kaisei Ogawa, Fathullah Rahmat, Khairin Nadim (Danish Qayyum 83’), Farhan Zulkifli, Itsuki Enomoto.
Unused subs: Rauf Erwan (GK), Aqil Yazid, Syafi Nur Hilman, Wong Ngang Haang, Izz Anaqi, Nyqil Iyyan, Danial Crichton.
Young Lions players celebrating a goal against Brunei DPMM, 27 July 2024
Smooth-sailing for Sailors
Sailors 7-1 Hougang | Bishan| 28 July
Bailey Wright 13’, Song Uiyoung 25’, Shawal Anuar 45’, Toni Datković 53’, Maxime Lestienne pen. 56’, Lennart Thy 61’, 80’ | Stjepan Plazonja 11’
Hougang took a shock lead with Plazonja firing past Izwan Mahbud to complete a lethal counter-attack, but that was as good as the Cheetahs got. The Sailors equalised almost immediately with Wright nodding home Lestienne’s corner, before Song put them ahead with a low finish. Further headed goals from Shawal and Datković on either side of the break put them 4-1 up, before Lestienne added another from the spot. Thy then found the target with two accurate low finishes to complete a convincing rout.
Facts
- The Sailors won by a six-goal margin for a second straight match.
- Both Sailors centre-backs Wright and Datković scored in this game.
- Song scored in back-to-back SPL games for the first time since August 2022.
- Thy scored his first-ever SPL brace – this is the first time he netted two in a game since December 2023 in PEC Zwolle’s 2-2 draw away at Ajax Amsterdam.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Lionel Tan (Hafiz Nor 81’), Bailey Wright (C), Toni Datković (Bill Mamadou 71’), Christopher van Huizen, Rui Pires (Anumanthan Kumar 81’), Hami Syahin (Hariss Harun 66’), Maxime Lestienne, Shawal Anuar (Haiqal Pashia 71’), Song Uiyoung, Lennart Thy.
Unused subs: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Sergio Carmona Pérez, Adam Swandi, Nathan Mao.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Ensar Brunčević, Faris Hasić, Ismail Salihović (Ajay Robson 46’), Danish Irfan (Nazhiim Harman 46’), Shodai Yokoyama, Shahdan Sulaiman, Hazzuwan Halim (Justin Hui 64’), Stjepan Plazonja (Gabriel Quak 87’), Dejan Račić (Zamani Zamri 64’).
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Louka Vaissierre-Tan, Adam Reefdy, Danie Hafiy.
Lion City Sailors’ Maxime Lestienne in action against Hougang United, 28 July 2024
A true classic
Geylang 4-4 Balestier | Jalan Besar | 28 July
Tomoyuki Doi 4’, pen. 29’, Vincent Bezecourt 19’, 78’ | Kodai Tanaka 60, pen. 71, Ismail Sassi 68’, Ignatius Ang 82’
Doi rifled home a fine finish early on, before Bezecourt calmly finished off a one-on-one to extend Geylang’s lead. The Eagles were 3-0 up by the half-hour mark with Doi netting his second from the spot and they even had a man’s advantage after Balestier’s Tajeli Salamat was given a straight red.
The Tigers then launched a rousing comeback – with Tanaka heading in Madhu’s cross, before Sassi applied the finishing touch on a great team-move to reduce the deficit to one. Tanaka then converted from the spot to make it 3-3, before Geylang retook the lead through another Bezecourt close-range finish. However, the Tigers stole a share of a spoils with Ang ghosting in to prod past Rudy Khairullah – capping off an amazing game.
Facts
- Geylang are still one of two unbeaten sides in the league with BG Tampines, but six out of their 10 games have ended in draws.
- Doi and Tanaka continue to lead the SPL scoring chart with 16 and 14 goals respectively.
- Bezecourt scored his first brace since March 2023 in Geylang’s 2-1 win over Hougang.
- Ang has already equalled his season-best tally of three goals from the 2018 season – he scored in back-to-back games for the first time since June 2018 when he was with Warriors FC.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Joshua Pereira (C), Rio Sakuma, Keito Hariya, Akmal Azman, Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt, Naqiuddin Eunos, Naufal Azman (Ahmad Syahir 59’), Iqbal Hussain (Zikos Chua 90’), Tomoyuki Doi.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Faisal Shahril, Raiyan Noor, Hud Ismail, Shafrel Ariel, Nur Ikhsanuddin, Barnaby Davies.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Fudhil I’yadh (Harith Kanadi 46’), Tajeli Salamat, Madhu Mohana, Jordan Emaviwe, Darren Teh (Amer Hakeem 85’), Alen Kozar (C), Ismail Sassi, Ignatius Ang ((Amiruldin Asraf 85’), Riku Fukashiro, Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Wayne Chew (GK), Emmeric Ong, Elijah Lim, Irfan Mika’il, Reycredo Bukit.
Red Card – Tajeli Salamat (Balestier) 51’
Geylang International players celebrating a goal against Balestier Khalsa, 28 July 2024
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