Matchweek 9 of the Singapore Premier League delivered another entertaining chapter of local football. The top three sides secured victory in their respective matches, while Geylang International picked up their first win of the year.
The Eagles taste victory again
Tanjong Pagar United 1-3 Geylang International | Jurong East Stadium | 6 February
(Emilio Estevez 90+1’ | Ryoya Taniguchi 11’, Shodai Yokoyama 52’, Vincent Bezecourt 66’)
Geylang International ended their three-game losing streak by beating Tanjong Pagar United. The Eagles opened the scoring in the 11th minute after a scramble in the box, allowing Ryoya Taniguchi to finish with aplomb. Further goals in the second half put Geylang on course for their first victory of 2026. A red card for goalkeeper Yu Kanoshima in the 84th minute gave the hosts a lifeline as they made their numerical advantage count with a consolation goal late on.
Geylang will be pleased with the result, and look to carry the winning momentum in their upcoming fixtures against Hougang United and Balestier Khalsa, who are chasing them in the league table.
Too little too late for the Jaguars
Kickoff on Friday, 6 February was slightly delayed after Geylang International’s team bus was caught in heavy traffic. However, it was Tanjong Pagar United who were slow out of the blocks, not clearing their lines leading up to the first goal. Things were further compounded after Captain Aaron Evans was stretchered off in the aftermath of Vincent Bezecourt’s goal. Despite a consolation goal in added time, it was not enough as the Jaguars continued their poor run of form.
Tanjong Pagar will not have it any easier in their next match, coming up against the reigning champions Lion City Sailors. Head Coach Noh Alam Shah will demand a better start from his team to have any chance of a result.
Tanjong Pagar United: Zaiful Nizam, Kim Li Kwan, Fathullah Rahmat (Azim Akbar 65’), Zenivio Mota, Raihan Rahman, Naqiuddin Eunos (Guiherme Rodrigues 85’), Emilio Estevez, Aaron Evans (C) (Faizal Roslan 73’), Shodai Nishikawa, Sahil Suhaimi, Lee Chanwoo
Unused subs: Matthew Silva, Kenji Rusydi, Syahrul Sazali, Syahadat Masnawi, Aloysius Pang, Samuel Pillai, Danny Ali, Vincenzo Ucchino, Haziq Zulkifli
Geylang International: Yu Kanoshima, Shuhei Hoshino (Iqram Rifqi 90+5’), Joshua Pereira (C), Ryoya Taniguchi (Abuduryim Abdushukur 90+11’), Vincent Bezecourt (Rudy Khairullah 87’), Shakir Hamzah, Nikola Ignjatovic, Shahdan Sulaiman (Amy Recha 46’), Shodai Yokoyama, Kaisei Ogawa, Nazrul Nazari
Unused subs:, Danial Crichton, Kim Tae Ho, Gareth Low, Ethan Pinto, Ko Jaehyun, Raiyan Noor, Ryu Hardy, Prince Rio Rifae’i
Red Card – Yu Kanoshima (Geylang International) 84’
The Stags see off Tigers challenge
Balestier Khalsa 0-3 BG Tampines Rovers | Bishan Stadium | 7 February
(Shah Shahiran 22’, Hide Higashikawa 50’, Jacob Mahler 71’)
BG Tampines Rovers recovered from their midweek Shopee Cup defeat away in Hanoi, beating Balestier Khalsa with relative ease at Bishan Stadium. Shah Shahiran netted for the second game in a row, after a touch from Hide Higashikawa found him in the box. The Japanese forward then scored one of his own in the second half, this time receiving from Kohya Kazama’s reverse pass. Kohya notched another assist in the 71st minute, his freekick finding an unmarked Jacob Mahler to head home for his first goal for the Stags.
Tampines will be satisfied with the win and clean sheet, doing their part as they look to hunt down league leaders Lion City Sailors. Meanwhile, Balestier Khalsa have now lost four games in a row, and will view their next match against the Young Lions as an opportunity to bounce back.
Balestier Khalsa: Mario Mustapic, Darren Teh (C), Tajeli Salamat, Lazar Vujanic, Bogdan Mandic (Ifat Sha’aban 74’), Harith Kanadi, Elijah Lim (Ilyasin Zayan 74’), Tin Matic, Masahiro Sugita, Fudhil I’Yadh, Ignatius Ang (Jakov Katusa 57’)
Unused subs: Martyn Mun, Hafiz Ahmad, Aniq Raushan, Syafi Nur Hilman, Karthigaya Varmaan, Daniyal Lynn Rasor
BG Tampines Rovers: Syazwan Buhari (C), Raoul Suhaimi, Shuya Yamashita, Shah Shahiran (Ong Yu En 83’), Glenn Kueh (Trent Buhagiar 76’), Amirul Haikal, Joel Chew, Irfan Najeeb, Hide Higashikawa (Zikos Chua 83’), Yuki Kobayashi (Jacob Mahler 26’), Kohya Kazama (Takeshi Yoshimoto 76’)
Unused subs: Danial Iliya, Seiga Sumi, Dylan Fox, Iman Hakim, Kegan Phang
Business as usual for the Sailors
Young Lions 0-2 Lion City Sailors | Jalan Besar Stadium | 8 February
(Bailey Wright 13’, Lennart Thy 35’)
Lion City Sailors continued their winning start to the season, courtesy of goals in the first half from Bailey Wright and Lennart Thy. The Sailors parted ways with Head Coach Aleksandar Rankovic after a three-year spell, but displayed their quality on the pitch to secure three points at Jalan Besar Stadium.
Despite the defeat, the Young Lions will be encouraged by their resolute display, limiting the free-scoring Sailors to only two goals. Having recorded their first point of the season recently, another positive result may be on the horizon – perhaps against a free-falling Balestier Khalsa.
Young Lions: Izwan Mahbud, Joilson Lucas Souza, Abner Vinicius, Sergio Mendonca, Amir Syafiz (C) (Nicholas Beninger 69’), Henry Lawrence Spence (Garv Sahoo 85’), Fairuz Fazli (Andrew Aw Yong 85’), Kieran Teo, Nathan Mao (Harith Danish 69’), Luth Harith, Andy Reefqy (Ajay Robson 78’)
Unused subs: Aizil Yazid, Enrico Silveira, Marcus Mosses, Iryan Fandi, Caelan Cheong, Yazid Rizal Rais, Danial Ukail
Lion City Sailors: Ivan Susak, Toni Datkovic, Tsiy Ndenge, Shawal Anuar (Bart Ramselaar 61’), Lennart Thy (Luka Adzic 78’), Hariss Harun (C) (Christopher Van Huizen 87’), Anderson Lopes, Bailey Wright, Diogo Costa (Nur Adam Abdullah 61’), Akram Azman (Hami Syahin 78’), Kyoga Nakamura
Unused subs: Benjamin Zerak, Adib Nur Hakim, Lionel Tan, Hafiz Nor, Lucas Agueiro
White Swans win four on the trot
Albirex Niigata (S) 2-1 Hougang United | Jurong East Stadium | 9 February
(Shingo Nakano 13’, Yang Hyeonju 43’ | Jaushua Sotirio 50’)
The final action of the weekend saw Albirex Niigata (S) triumph in a close contest with Hougang United. Shingo Nakano scored his seventh league goal of the season, reacting quickest after Zharfan Rohaizad spilled a freekick from Cho Eunsu. The hosts doubled their advantage just before half time, with Yang Hyeonju turning defenders before scoring his first goal for the White Swans.
Hougang reacted by bringing on Jaushua Sotirio, and the former Sydney FC forward made an instant impact, his shot looping over Hassan Sunny in the 50th minute. The Cheetahs pushed on for the equaliser but were unable to find a second in an end-to-end conclusion of the game.
Albirex have now won four games in a row, continuing their impressive run of form. They face BG Tampines Rovers in their next game, which will provide a formidable test of their credentials.
Albirex Niigata (S): Hassan Sunny, Kim Taeuk, Nozomi Ozawa, Komei Iida, Zulqarnaen Suzliman (Danish Qayyum 84’), Katsuyuki Ishibashi (Naoki Yoshioka 75’’), Syed Firdaus Hassan (Abdul Rasaq Akeem 57’), Cho Eunsu, Yang Hyeonju (Ren Nishimura 75’), Haziq Kamarudin (Nicky Melvin Singh 84’), Shingo Nakano (C)
Unused subs:, Takahiro Koga, Dylan Pereira, Helmi Shahrol, Syukri Bashir, Shoshi Kadowaki, Liska Haaziq Iskandar, Aqil Zafri Junaidi
Hougang United: Zharfan Rohaizad, Jordan Vestering, Huzaifah Aziz, Saifullah Akbar, Saharat Panmarchya (Jaushua Sotirio 46’), Farhan Zulkifli, Settawut Wongsai, Parinya Nusong (Victor Blasco Llorens 36’), Washington Ayovi, Ryaan Sanizal (C), Yuma Suwa (Nabilai Kibunguchy 84’)
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin, Anders Aplin, Chonlawit Kanuengkid, Kanok Kongsimma, Rauf Sanizal, Syady Sufwan, Woo Chun Wei, Algirdas Karlonas, Yang He
