BG Tampines Rovers’ Taufik Suparno in action against Balestier Khalsa’s Darren Teh, 11 August 2024
SINGAPORE, 12 AUGUST 2024 – The Singapore Premier League (SPL) title race took another twist with BG Tampines Rovers held to a last-gasp draw by Balestier Khalsa, as they now lead the table with two points but have played a game more than nearest rivals Lion City Sailors. Elsewhere, Geylang International consolidated third spot with a neat victory over Young Lions and Hougang United climbed to fifth with a thrashing of bottom side Tanjong Pagar United. Meanwhile defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) and Brunei DPMM played out a scoreless draw. We recap all the action here…
Stalemate in Brunei
DPMM 0-0 Albirex | Bandar Seri Begawan | 10 August
In a scrappy game, it was DPMM who went closest to stealing the three points with Julio Cruz’s shot in the 75th minute coming off the underside of the bar as both sides eventually settled for a share of the spoils.
Facts
- This is the first goalless draw in the league since 1 October 2022 between BG Tampines and Geylang.
- Albirex got just their second clean sheet of the season, while it was DPMM’s first shutout – their last one prior to this came in August 2023.
- DPMM have now gone nine games without a win.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Hanif Hamir (Nazry Aiman 11’), Yura Indera Putera, Nurikhwan Othman, Najib Tarif, Farshad Noor, Gabriel Gama, Azwan Ali Rahman (C) (Hanif Farhan 90’), Hakeme Yazid, Miguel Oliveira, Julio Cruz.
Unused subs: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Abdul Mu’iz Sisa, Azwan Saleh, Faturrahman Embran, Safwan Zawawi, Abdul Hariz Herman, Nazirrudin Ismail.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Junki Yoshimura, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni (C), Gareth Low, Syed Firdaus Hassan, Yojiro Takahagi, Yohei Otake, Daniel Goh (Arshad Shamim 83’), Shingo Nakano, Shuhei Hoshino.
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Idraki Adnan, Syukri Bashir, Daniel Martens, Hilman Norhisam, Kenji Austin.
Albirex Niigata (S)’s Shingo Nakano in action against Brunei DPMM, 10 August 2024
Eagles back on winning track
Young Lions 0-3 Geylang | Jalan Besar | 10 August
Tomoyuki Doi 12’, 71’, Vincent Bezecourt 77’
After putting Geylang ahead through a razor-like finish in the box, Doi repeated the trick in the second half as he applied the finishing touch to Bezecourt’s squared ball into the area. The latter then rounded off a straightforward victory as he capitalised on a poor Jun Kobayashi clearance to rifle one past Travis Ang.
Facts
- Geylang won for the first time in four matches.
- The Eagles got just their second clean sheet of the season.
- Doi has now scored 18 goals in 12 matches – just one away from equalling his 2021 best of 19 goals in 21 appearances.
Young Lions: Travis Ang (GK), Ryaan Sanizal (C), Jun Kobayashi, Kieran Teo, Nur Adam Abdullah, Kan Kobayashi, Kaisei Ogawa, Khairin Nadim (Farhan Zulkifli 57’), Fathullah Rahmat (Amir Syafiz 70’), Fairuz Fazli (Raoul Suhaimi 46’), Itsuki Enomoto.
Unused subs: Aizil Yazid (GK), Aqil Yazid, Ikram Mikhail, Danish Qayyum, Garv Sahoo, Jonan Tan.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Akmal Azman (Ahmad Syahir 90’), Joshua Pereira (C), Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah, Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt, Naqiuddin Eunos, Ryoya Taniguchi (Hud Ismail 90’), Naufal Azman (Jake Ellenberger 17’, Zikos Chua 61’), Tomoyuki Doi (Raiyan Noor 90’).
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Faisal Shahril, Nur Ikhsanuddin, Hafiy Ismat.
Geylang International’s Vincent Bezecourt celebrates scoring against Young Lions, 10 August 2024
Cheetahs on the rise
Hougang 5-1 Tanjong Pagar | Jalan Besar | 11 August
Dejan Račić 22’, 28’, 75’, Stjepan Plazonja 83’, 90’+1 | Salif Cissé 40’
There was no way back for Tanjong Pagar after Račić converted Plazonja’s low cross to put Hougang ahead, before he repeated the trick with a deft touch to finish off Nazrul Nazari’s through ball. While the Jaguars did pull one back with Cissé capitalising on some poor Hougang defending to score, the home side restored their two-goal advantage with Račić putting away another Plazonja cross to complete his hat-trick. Plazonja then joined the party with two clinical finishes to complete a resounding victory.
Facts
- Hougang have now won three out of their last four outings after starting their season with a eight-match winless run.
- Račić has now scored eight goals in nine appearances for the Cheetahs.
- Plazonja scored two and assisted two in this match.
- Tanjong Pagar have now lost their last four matches.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Ensar Brunčević, Faris Hasić, Nazhiim Harman, Ismail Salihović (Ajay Robson 77’), Shahdan Sulaiman, Hazzuwan Halim (Gabriel Quak 77’), Stjepan Plazonja, Shodai Yokoyama, Dejan Račić (Zamani Zamri 85’).
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Danish Irfan, Justin Hui, Louka Vaissierre-Tan, Adam Reefdy, Yasir Nizamudin.
Tanjong Pagar: Riki Kimura (GK) (Prathip Ekamparam 46’), Zenivio Mota (Syed Akmal 88’), Pathy Malumandsoko, Faizal Roslan (C), Shahrin Saberin, Ihsan Hadi (Sahil Suhaimi 77’), Tomoki Wada, Rezza Rezky (Syahadat Masnawi 46’), Stefan Paunović (Aiqel Aliman 87’), Shodai Nishikawa, Salif Cissé.
Unused subs: Fashah Iskandar (GK), Azim Akbar, Daniel Elfian, Saiful Azhar.
Hougang United’s Shahdan Sulaiman in action against Tanjong Pagar United, 11 August 2024
Stags drop crucial points
Balestier 2-2 BG Tampines | Bishan | 11 August
Ismail Sassi 45’, Kodai Tanaka pen. 90’+5 | Seia Kunori 13’, Taufik Suparno 79’
BG Tampines led twice in this, with Kunori’s long-range curler cancelled out by a clever Sassi header off Ignatius Ang’s cross before Taufik restored their lead by popping up at the back post to nod home Faris Ramli’s teasing cross. However, they were denied the victory at the death with Tanaka dusting himself off after being fell by Amirul Adli to tuck home the resulting penalty to claim a point for Balestier.
Facts
- Balestier and BG Tampines remain the only teams to have scored in every game this season.
- Kunori and Tanaka have now scored in each of their last four appearances, while Sassi has scored in three straight matches.
- BG Tampines have now dropped points courtesy of conceding injury-time equalisers twice in their last four matches.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh, Madhu Mohana, Jordan Emaviwe, Harith Kanadi (Fudhil I’yadh 76’), Alen Kozar (C), Ismail Sassi, Masahiro Sugita, Ignatius Ang (Amiruldin Asraf 89’), Riku Fukashiro, Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Wayne Chew (GK), Emmeric Ong, Amer Hakeem, Elijah Lim, Irfan Mika’il, Reycredo Bukit.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb, Amirul Adli, Miloš Zlatković, Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura (Saifullah Akbar 64’), Glenn Kweh (Jared Gallagher 46’), Yasir Hanapi (Taufik Suparno 46’), Seia Kunori (Syahrul Sazali 85’), Faris Ramli, Boris Kopitović.
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Shuya Yamashita, Joel Chew, Thanet Suknate, Kieran Tan.
Balestier Khalsa’s Kodai Tanaka scores a penalty against BG Tampines Rovers, 11 August 2024