BG Tampines Rovers’ Faris Ramli celebrates his goal against Balestier Khalsa, 2 November 2024
SINGAPORE, 4 NOVEMBER 2024 – BG Tampines Rovers are now level on points with leaders Lion City Sailors, albeit having played two games more after dispatching Balestier Khalsa, while third-placed Geylang International swept aside Young Lions to pull eight points clear of the Tigers. Elsewhere, Brunei DPMM overcame Albirex Niigata (S) to climb to sixth while Tanjong Pagar United’s struggles continued with a heavy defeat to Hougang United. We recap all the action here…
Six-star Cheetahs climb out of bottom two
Hougang 6-0 Tanjong Pagar | Jalan Besar | 1 November
Shahdan Sulaiman 9′, Dejan Račić 10′, pen. 78′, Nazhiim Harman 47′, Gabriel Quak 66′, Petar Banović 89’
There was no way back after two early Hougang goals, with Shahdan curling home a neat opener before Račić gobbled up a rebound. The goals continued in the second half, with Nazhiim heading in Shahdan’s inswinging corner before Quak lashed home a sizzling grounder to make it four. Račić then netted his second of the night from the spot, before Banović produced a brilliant lob to complete the rout.
Facts
- Hougang ended a six-game game winless streak, while Tanjong Pagar have not won any of their last 11 matches.
- Račić has now netted 15 goals in 16 SPL appearances.
- Nazhiim scored his first-ever SPL goal.
- Tanjong Pagar’s Thorsten Takashi Cross made his professional debut.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Nazhiim Harman, Danish Irfan (Puttipat Kaewsawad 71’), Jordan Vestering, Zulfahmi Arifin, Shahdan Sulaiman, Ismail Salihović (Petar Banović 67’), Gabriel Quak (Hazzuwan Halim 67’), Shodai Yokoyama (Zamani Zamri 82’), Dejan Račić (Tan-Vaissierre Louka 82’).
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Isaac Jonathan (GK), Justin Hui, Yasir Nizamudin.
Tanjong Pagar: Riki Kimura (GK), Azim Akbar (Shahrin Saberin 46’), Syed Akmal, Faizal Roslan, Akram Azman (C), Thorsten Takashi Cross (Farid Jafiri 67’), Rezza Rezky (Tarunn Kannan 75’), Zenivio Mota, Sahil Suhaimi (Syahadat Masnawi 82’), Shodai Nishikawa (Arsyad Basiron 82’), Salif Cissé.
Unused subs: Ryan Effendy (GK), Umar Akhbar, Daniel Elfian, Ahmad Danial.
Brunei DPMM’s Miguel Oliveira celebrates his goal against Albirex Niigata (S), 2 November 2024
DPMM stun high-flying Swans
Albirex 2-3 DPMM | Jurong East | 2 November
Shingo Nakano 45’+2, Stevia Egbus Mikuni 61′ | Azwan Ali Rahman 45’+8, Miguel Oliveira 48’, Azwan Salleh 90’+5
A topsy-turvy game saw Albirex take the lead with the in-form Nakano rounding Haimie Nyaring to score, but DPMM turned it around with Azwan Ali rifling home from a tight angle before Oliveira smashed one home from the edge of the area. The home side equalised through Mikuni’s header off Yojiro Takahagi’s corner, but DPMM stole the points late on with Azwan Saleh’s unerring 25-yard shot sneaking past Hassan Sunny for a dramatic winner.
Facts
- Albirex’s four-match winning streak ended.
- Nakano has scored in each of his last five SPL appearances – he has now pulled level with Balestier’s Kodai Tanaka at joint-second in the scoring charts with 17 goals.
- Azwan Saleh scored his first SPL goal in more than six years – his last league strike came in June 2018 in a 6-2 win over Geylang.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Ryhan Stewart, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni (C), Junki Yoshimura, Yojiro Takahagi, Yohei Otake, Haziq Kamarudin (Daniel Goh 76’), Arya Igami Tarhani (Arshad Shamim 85’), Syukri Bashir (Syed Firdaus Hassan 46’), Shingo Nakano.
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Idraki Adnan, Ho Wai Loon, Gareth Low, Daniel Martens, Kenji Austin.
DPMM: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Nazry Aiman (Syafiq Safiuddin 90’), Yura Indera Putera, Nurikhwan Othman (Hanif Hamir 45’+5), Najib Tarif (Abdul Mu’iz Sisa 21’), Farshad Noor, Azwan Saleh, Gabriel Gama, Azwan Ali Rahman (C) (Abdul Hariz Herman 90’), Hakeme Yazid, Miguel Oliveira.
Unused subs: Ishyra Amin (GK), Hanif Farhan, Faturrahman Embran, Haziq Naqiuddin, Nazirrudin Ismail.
Seia Kunori in action for BG Tampines Rovers, 2 November 2024
Stags remain on title charge
BG Tampines 3-1 Balestier | Jalan Besar | 2 November
Irfan Najeeb 48′, Faris Ramli 71′, Seia Kunori 80′ | Riku Fukashiro 73′
After a tight first half, Irfan nodded home Faris Ramli’s corner to put BG Tampines ahead before the latter turned scorer as he netted on a rebound to make it 2-0. Fukashiro pulled one back thereafter with a smart finish, but the Stags sealed the points late on with Kunori curling home a stunner beyond Hafiz Ahmad.
Facts
- BG Tampines have now won their last two matches, after going on a six-game winless run previously.
- Irfan has now reached four goals for the campaign, doubling his previous career-best of two from the 2018 season.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb (Jared Gallagher 72’), Shuya Yamashita, Miloš Zlatković, Amirul Adli (Thanet Suknate 87’), Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Glenn Kweh (Taufik Suparno 46’), Faris Ramli (Joel Chew 72’), Seia Kunori, Boris Kopitović (Yasir Hanapi 87’).
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Saifullah Akbar, Kegan Phang, Kieran Tan.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh (Jordan Emaviwe 83’), Madhu Mohana, Tajeli Salamat, Harith Kanadi, Alen Kozar (C), Masahiro Sugita, Riku Fukashiro, Ismaïl Sassi, Kodai Tanaka, Ignatius Ang (Elijah Lim 77’).
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Wayne Chew (GK), Emmeric Ong, Fudhil I’yadh, Amiruldin Asraf, Reycredo Bukit, Darren Teo.
Geylang International’s Tomoyuki Doi poses with the match ball after his hat-trick performance, 3 November 2024
Doi’s impressive campaign continues
Geylang 4-0 Young Lions | Jalan Besar | 3 November
Shakir Hamzah 34′, Tomoyuki Doi 50′, 73′, 88′
Shakir curled home a delightful opener from the edge of the box to put Geylang ahead, before the Doi show came on full display after the break. The Japanese hot shot swept home Vincent Bezecourt’s corner and converted a clinical left-footed shot, before completing his hat-trick with a brilliant free-kick from 25 yards out – all in an evening’s work.
Facts
- Geylang have now scored 67 goals in just 19 games this season – with 32 of those coming from Doi.
- Doi netted his sixth hat-trick of the season and his second against Young Lions this season.
- Shakir equalled his career-best of four goals – which he achieved in 2019 with Malaysia’s Kedah FA and in 2023 with Tanjong Pagar.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Joshua Pereira (C) (Nur Ikhsanuddin 90’+2), Rio Sakuma (Shafrel Ariel 90’+4), Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah (Ahmad Syahir 90’+2), Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt (Raiyan Noor 90’+4), Naqiuddin Eunos, Ryoya Taniguchi, Akmal Azman (Iqbal Hussain 76’), Tomoyuki Doi.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Faisal Shahril, Hud Ismail, Kyan Neo.
Young Lions: Aizil Yazid (GK), Fairuz Fazli (Ikram Mikhail 79’), Aqil Yazid, Jun Kobayashi (Andrew Aw 79’), Nur Adam Abdullah, Kan Kobayashi, Kaisei Ogawa (Nyqil Iyyan 79’), Jonan Tan (Amir Syafiz 63’), Danish Qayyum (Raoul Suhaimi 34’), Farhan Zulkifli (C), Itsuki Enomoto.
Unused subs: Rauf Erwan (GK), Syafi Nur Hilman, Loo Kai Sheng, Danial Crichton.
