Balestier Khalsa’s Kodai Tanaka in action against Brunei DPMM’s Yura Indera Putera, 13 September 2024.
SINGAPORE, 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 – The enthralling 2024/25 Singapore Premier League title race continues to deliver with Lion City Sailors now top based on goal difference after thrashing Tanjong Pagar United, while BG Tampines Rovers slipped to second after being to a surprise draw by Young Lions. Elsewhere, third-placed Geylang International crushed defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) while Balestier Khalsa played out a dramatic draw with Brunei DPMM. We recap all the action here…
Plucky Tigers rescue a point
DPMM 2-2 Balestier | Jalan Besar Stadium | 13 September
Hakeme Yazid 14’, Gabriel Gama 42’ | Riku Fukashiro 33’, Ismaïl Sassi 90’+10
DPMM led twice in this, with Hakeme’s header cancelled out by Fukashiro’s opportunistic goal before Gama put them back ahead with a brilliant curling shot. However, Balestier rescued a point at the death with Sassi nodding in Masahiro Sugita’s left-wing cross 10 minutes into injury time.
Facts
- DPMM are unbeaten in their last five matches, while Balestier have not lost in their last six outings.
- Balestier are one of only two sides, along with BG Tampines to have scored in every game this season.
- Sassi has scored in each of his last six games, tallying a total of eight goals.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Nazry Aiman (Syafiq Safiuddin 89’), Yura Indera Putera, Nurikhwan Othman, Najib Tarif, Farshad Noor, Abdul Hariz Herman (Hanif Farhan 32’), Gabriel Gama (Abdul Mu’iz Sisa 78’), Azwan Ali Rahman (C) (Nazirrudin Ismail 89’), Hakeme Yazid, Julio Cruz.
Unused subs: Ishyra Amin (GK), Azwan Saleh, Faturrahman Embran, Hanif Hamir, Haziq Naqiuddin.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh, Madhu Mohana, Jordan Emaviwe, Fudhil I’yadh (Harith Kanadi 79’), Alen Kozar (C), Ismaïl Sassi, Masahiro Sugita, Ignatius Ang (Amiruldin Asraf 51’), Riku Fukashiro, Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Emmeric Ong, Amer Hakeem, Elijah Lim, Syukri Noorhaizam, Irfan Mika’il, Reycredo Bukit.
Red Card – Kristijan Naumovski (DPMM) 90’+10 | Madhu Mohana (Balestier) 86’
Brunei DPMM’s Hakeme Yazid in action against Balestier Khalsa, 13 September 2024.
Stags drop points again
BG Tampines 2-2 Young Lions | Jalan Besar | 14 September
Joel Chew 61’, Miloš Zlatković 77’ | Kaisei Ogawa 20’, Itsuki Enomoto 50’
Ogawa lashed home a stunner from way out, before Enomoto applied the finishing touch to a great solo run as the Young Lions took a shock 2-0 lead. However, BG Tampines rallied with substitute Chew coming off the bench to net from close range before turning provider with a brilliant cross for Zlatković to nod home and claim an important point.
Facts
- BG Tampines remains the only team without a defeat this season but have now drawn their last three matches.
- That was just Chew’s fourth-ever SPL goal and first since October 2022.
- Young Lions picked up a point against BG Tampines for the first time since September 2019 when both sides drew 1-1.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Jared Gallagher (Glenn Kweh 58’), Shuya Yamashita, Amirul Adli, Miloš Zlatković, Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Saifullah Akbar (Faris Ramli 58’), Yasir Hanapi (Joel Chew 46’), Seia Kunori, Boris Kopitović.
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Syahrul Sazali, Thitipat Ekarunpong, Jovan Ang, Kegan Phang, Caelan Chong.
Young Lions: Aizil Yazid (GK), Syafi Nur Hilman (Andrew Aw 71’), Ryaan Sanizal (C), Kieran Teo, Nur Adam Abdullah, Kan Kobayashi (Amir Syafiz 80’), Kaisei Ogawa (Ethan Pinto 90’+1), Farhan Zulkifli, Danish Qayyum (Kharin Nadim 71’), Fathullah Rahmat, Itsuki Enomoto.
Unused subs: Travis Ang (GK), Danish Haqimi, Izz Anaqi, Nyqil Iyyan, Danial Crichton.
Young Lions’ Kaisei Ogawa celebrating scoring a goal against BG Tampines Rovers, 14 September 2024.
Sailors cruise in the West
Tanjong Pagar 0-6 Sailors | Jurong East | 14 September
Abdul Rasaq Akeem pen. 32’, Adam Swandi 36’, Shawal Anuar 37’, Bart Ramselaar 54’, Lennart Thy 73’, 83’
A much-changed Sailors side put Tanjong Pagar to the sword, with Rasaq opening the scoring from the spot before left-back Sergio Carmona Pérez laid on two brilliant assists for Adam and Shawal to net as they led 3-0 at the break. Ramselaar then came off the bench to score from close range and teed up Thy to net a crisp volley, before the latter converted yet another brilliant Carmona cross to complete the rout.
Facts
- Rasaq scored his first SPL goal since August 2023.
- Adam have now equalled his 2023 tally of three goals.
- Carmona picked up a hat-trick of assists.
- Tanjong Pagar’s Curtis David Gray and Rizqin Aniq made their SPL debuts.
Tanjong Pagar: Fashah Iskandar (GK), Azim Akbar (Umar Akhbar 46’), Syed Akmal (Curtis David Gray 46’), Timur Talipov, Akram Azman (C), Faizal Roslan, Tomoki Wada (Rizqin Aniq 84’), Rezza Rezky, Stefan Paunović (Farid Jafiri 54’), Shodai Nishikawa, Syahadat Masnawi (Sahil Suhaimi 70’).
Unused subs: Prathip Ekamparam (GK), Shahrin Saberin, Ihsan Hadi, Saiful Azhar.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Bill Mamadou (Hafiz Nor 46’), Bailey Wright (C), Lionel Tan, Sergio Carmona Pérez, Anumanthan Kumar, Hariss Harun (C), Shawal Anuar (Rui Pires 70’), Adam Swandi (Bart Ramselaar 46’), Obren Kljajić (Haiqal Pashia 76’), Abdul Rasaq Akeem (Lennart Thy 70’).
Unused subs: Adib Nur Hakim (GK), Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Christopher van Huizen, Nathan Mao.
Red Cards – Timur Talipov (Tanjong Pagar) 50’ | Anumanthan Kumar (Sailors) 64’
Lion City Sailors’ Abdul Rasaq in action against Tanjong Pagar United, 14 September 2024.
Eagles maul White Swans
Geylang 5-1 Albirex | Jalan Besar | 15 September
Tomoyuki Doi 13’, 22’, 73’, Ryoya Taniguchi 56’, Zikos Chua 83’ | Haziq Kamarudin 75’
Doi continues to be the difference maker, as he cut his marker to net the opening goal before capitalising on an Albirex defensive error to score a second. Taniguchi then curled past Hassan Sunny from outside the box, before Doi completed his hat-trick from similar range. Haziq pulled one back for the White Swans, but substitute Chua then coolly finished off a one-on-one to complete a memorable night for the Eagles.
Facts
- Doi scored his fourth hat-trick of the season – he is now up to 25 goals for the season, 10 more than nearest challenger Kodai Tanaka (Balestier).
- All three of Chua’s goals this season have came off the bench.
- Geylang’s Kyan Neo and Tariq Shahid made their SPL debuts.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Joshua Pereira (C), Rio Sakuma, Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah, Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt (Faisal Shahril 86’), Naqiuddin Eunos (Zikos Chua 80’), Ryoya Taniguchi (Kyan Neo 90’+3), Ahmad Syahir (Akmal Azman 80’), Tomoyuki Doi (Tariq Shahid 90’+3).
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Syafi Suhaimi, Hafiy Ismat, Irfan Rifqi.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Junki Yoshimura, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni (C), Gareth Low (Syukri Bashir 86’), Syed Firdaus Hassan, Yojiro Takahagi (Ho Wai Loon 69’), Yohei Otake, Daniel Goh (Haziq Kamarudin 59’), Arya Igami Tarhani (Arshad Shamim 59’), Shingo Nakano.
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Idraki Adnan, Kenji Austin, Liska Haaziq Iskandar.
Geylang International’s Ryoya Taniguchi celebrates scoring against Albirex Niigata (S), 15 September 2024.