SINGAPORE, 24 FEBRUARY 2025 – Table toppers Lion City Sailors easily dispatched Balestier Khalsa to remain six points clear of BG Tampines Rovers, who edged past Brunei DPMM. Meanwhile Albirex Niigata (S) claimed a late victory over Tanjong Pagar United to climb to fourth, while Hougang United and Young Lion played out a thrilling six-goal draw. We recap all the action here…
White Swans climb to fourth
Tanjong Pagar 1-2 Albirex | Jurong East | 21 February
Timur Talipov pen. 61’ | Matthew Silva O.G. 26′, Shuhei Hoshino 90+2′
Hoshino’s speculative shot from outside the area took an unlucky ricochet off Matthew Silva before going in to give Albirex the lead, before Tanjong Pagar restored parity through Talipov from the spot. The Jaguars then struck the bar two times, before Albirex stole the points late on with Hoshino producing a brilliant turn-and-shot to decide the game.
Facts
- Tanjong Pagar has now lost their last four games in all competitions.
- Albirex scored in second-half injury time for a second straight SPL match.
- Albirex’s Syahrul Sazali made his first SPL start since October 2022.
- Tanjong Pagar’s Marcus Mosses made his professional debut.
Tanjong Pagar: Matthew Silva (GK) (C), George Lloyd Thomas, Timur Talipov, Syed Akmal, Raihan Rahman, Azim Akbar (Izrafil Yusof 85’), Rezza Rezky, Tomoki Wada, Shodai Nishikawa, Sahil Suhaimi (Marcus Mosses 90’+2), Syahadat Masnawi (Zenivio Mota 27’).
Unused subs: Riki Kimura (GK), Farid Jafiri, Umar Akhbar, Hariysh Krishnakumar, Suhairi Sabri, Aloysius Pang.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Junki Yoshimura, Koki Kawachi (C), Syahrul Sazali (Haziq Kamarudin 62’), Gareth Low, Naoki Yoshioka, Syed Firdaus Hassan, Arshad Shamim, Shuhei Hoshino, Maeda Taiki, Shingo Nakano (Syukri Bashir 90’+2).
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Daniel Goh, Hilman Norhisam, Kenji Austin, Helmi Shahrol, Sim Jun Yen.
Red Card – Raihan Rahman (Tanjong Pagar) 83’
Cheetahs come from behind thrice
Hougang 3-3 Young Lions | Jalan Besar | 22 February
Daniel Henrique 8′, Dejan Račić 34′, Farhan Zulkifli 71′ | Danish Qayyum 6′, Amir Syafiz 23′, 43′
Qayyum popped up in the box to put Young Lions ahead, but Henrique rose the highest to nod home Tajeli Salamat’s teasing cross for an instant Hougang leveller. Amir’s close-range finish was then cancelled out once again by Račić’s header off Shahdan Sulaiman’s corner, before Amir struck again with a crisp shot from outside the area to put Young Lions back ahead. However, Hougang would rescue a point in the second half with Farhan tapping home Stjepan Plazonja’s low cross.
Facts
- Hougang remained unbeaten after four matches in all competitions under the interim charge of Robert Eziakor.
- Amir has now scored four goals in his last four SPL appearances, after netting just once in his previous 47 outings.
- Farhan scored his first goal for Hougang since November 2022.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Tajeli Salamat, Jovan Mugoša (Nazrul Nazari 26’), Daniel Henrique, Jordan Vestering, Zulfahmi Arifin, Shahdan Sulaiman (Gabriel Quak 88’), Farhan Zulkifli (Hazzuwan Halim 72’), Shodai Yokoyama, Stjepan Plazonja, Dejan Račić.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Anders Aplin, Nazhiim Harman, Zamani Zamri, Tan-Vaissierre Louka, Parinya Kaochukiat.
Young Lions: Aizil Yazid (GK), Raoul Suhaimi, Aqil Yazid (Bill Mamadou 74’), Jun Kobayashi, Ryaan Sanizal (C), Nur Adam Abdullah, Fairuz Fazli (Ryu Hardy 88’), Kaisei Ogawa, Danish Qayyum, Ethan Pinto (Andrew Aw 76’), Amir Syafiz.
Unused subs: Rauf Erwan (GK), Syafi Nur Hilman, Kan Kobayashi, Ryan Vishal, Zaki Jumlan, Danial Crichton.
Stags keep title hopes alive
BG Tampines 1-0 DPMM | Jalan Besar | 23 February
Damir Muminovic O.G. 61′
A scrappy affair was decided in the second half, with Muminović inadvertently diverting into his own goal while trying to clear Glenn Kweh’s cross as BG Tampines got the crucial win to stay in the hunt.
Facts
- BG Tampines have won five out of their last six league matches.
- DPMM have lost all five matches which they have played in 2025.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb, Shuya Yamashita, Amirul Adli (Dylan Fox 72’), Miloš Zlatković, Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Joel Chew (Faris Ramli 72’), Taufik Suparno (Glenn Kweh 57’), Itsuki Enomoto (Yasir Hanapi 90’+1), Seia Kunori.
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Arya Igami Tarhani, Amirul Haikal, Rae Peh, Kieran Tan.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Nazry Aiman, Nurikhwan Othman (Wafi Aminuddin 72’), Damir Muminović, Najib Tarif (Hanif Farhan 72’), Abdul Hariz Herman (Azwan Saleh 72’), Miguel Oliveira, Gabriel Gama, Azwan Ali Rahman (C) (Faturrahman Embran 85’), Nazirrudin Ismail (Hariz Danial Khallidden 67’), Dāvis Ikaunieks.
Unused subs: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Syafiq Safiuddin, Hanif Hamir.
No stopping the rampant Sailors
Balestier 1-5 Sailors | Bishan | 23 February
Kodai Tanaka 86′ | Lennart Thy 3′, 45+2′, 50′, 71′, Maxime Lestienne 29′
There was no way back for Balestier once Thy nodded the Sailors ahead early on. Lestienne added a second with a cool finish inside Hafiz Ahmad’s near post, before Balestier was reduced to 10 men due to Fudhil I’yadh’s sending off. Thy then rifled home a stunning volley to make it 3-0, before adding two clinical strikes to end the contest. The Tigers did pull one back through Tanaka’s tap-in, but it was too little too late.
Facts
- The Sailors have now won six straight SPL matches.
- Thy is the first player to net four goals in a single match this season – he has scored 22 goals in 19 SPL appearances so far.
- Lestienne scored his first SPL goal since August 2024.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh, Abdil Qaiyyim (Cher Garang 46’), Madhu Mohana, Fudhil I’yadh, Alen Kozar (C), Jared Gallagher, Riku Fukashiro, Ignatius Ang (Harith Kanadi 41’), Anton Fase, Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Emmeric Ong, Elijah Lim, Amiruldin Asraf, N Sakthivelchezhian, Reycredo Bukit, Sheikh Faris.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Akram Azman, Lionel Tan, Bailey Wright (C) (Hafiz Nor 74’), Toni Datković, Diogo Costa (Christopher van Huizen 66’), Anumanthan Kumar (Hami Syahin 66’), Rui Pires (Haiqal Pashia 81’), Maxime Lestienne (Abdul Rasaq Akeem 66’), Song Uiyoung, Lennart Thy.
Unused subs: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Shawal Anuar, Hariss Harun, Nathan Mao.
Red Card – Fudhil I’yadh (Balestier) 35’
