SINGAPORE, 28 FEBRUARY 2025 – The Lion City Sailors edged title rivals BG Tampines Rovers in a pivotal clash, as they went nine points clear at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) table with a game in hand. Elsewhere, Geylang International and Albirex Niigata (S) strengthened their grips on third and fourth spots after big wins over Tanjong Pagar United and Balestier Khalsa respectively, while Brunei DPMM overcame Hougang United to climb to seventh. We recap all the action here…
DPMM stem the rot
DPMM 2-1 Hougang | Jalan Besar | 26 February
Dāvis Ikaunieks 20′, pen. 60′ | Farhan Zulkifli pen. 89′
In a madcap game which saw a total of three red cards and two missed penalties from Hougang, DPMM prevailed with Ikaunieks nodding home Miguel Oliveira’s cross before netting from the spot for a lethal double. Farhan did convert a late penalty, but it was too little too late for Hougang.
Facts
- DPMM won an SPL match for the first time in 2025 after losing their first five league outings of the year.
- Hougang suffered defeat for the first time after five matches under the interim charge of Robert Eziakor.
- Six out of Farhan’s nine SPL goals so far have come this season.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Nazry Aiman, Nurikhwan Othman, Damir Muminović, Najib Tarif (Hanif Farhan 46’), Abdul Hariz Herman (Hariz Danial Khallidden 46’), Miguel Oliveira, Gabriel Gama, Azwan Ali Rahman (C), Nazirrudin Ismail, Dāvis Ikaunieks.
Unused subs: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Azwan Saleh, Faturrahman Embran, Hanif Hamir, Wafi Aminuddin.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Tajeli Salamat, Daniel Henrique, Jordan Vestering, Zulfahmi Arifin, Shahdan Sulaiman, Hazzuwan Halim (Farhan Zulkifli 64’), Shodai Yokoyama (Ismail Salihović 64’), Stjepan Plazonja, Dejan Račić.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Anders Aplin, Danish Irfan, Justin Hui, Nazhiim Harman, Gabriel Quak, Zamani Zamri
Red Cards – Hanif Farhan (DPMM) 82’, Naziruddin Ismail (DPMM) 90’+4 | Zulfahmi Arifin (Hougang) 37’
Sailors closing in on title
Sailors 1-0 BG Tampines | Bishan | 26 February
Lionel Tan 82′
A drab affair was decided late on, with substitute defender Lionel Tan displaying superb control to bring the ball down in the box before volleying past Syazwan Buhari to help the Sailors to a crucial win in the top-of-the-table clash.
Facts
- The Sailors have now won seven straight SPL matches.
- Tan scored his first SPL goal since July 2023.
- Tan’s goal meant the Sailors are now level with BG Tampines for the highest number of different scorers for the season – 13.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Hami Syahin (Christopher van Huizen 65’), Hariss Harun (C), Bailey Wright, Toni Datković (Lionel Tan 41’), Diogo Costa, Maxime Lestienne, Rui Pires, Song Uiyoung, Bart Ramselaar, Shawal Anuar (Abdul Rasaq Akeem 90’+1).
Unused subs: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Anumanthan Kumar, Hafiz Nor, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Haiqal Pashia, Akram Azman.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb (Amirul Adli 76’), Shuya Yamashita, Dylan Fox, Miloš Zlatković, Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Joel Chew (Taufik Suparno 57’), Glenn Kweh (Arya Igami Tarhani 76’), Itsuki Enomoto (Faris Ramli 68’), Seia Kunori.
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Amirul Haikal, Yasir Hanapi, Rae Peh, Kieran Tan.
White Swans rediscover groove
Albirex 4-0 Balestier | Jurong East | 27 February
Shingo Nakano 38′, 45+2′, Yohei Otake 45′, Amy Recha 89′
A flurry of goals late in the first half decided the game, with Nakano’s clinical double sandwiching an Otake deflected shot which deceived Balestier goalkeeper Hafiz Ahmad. Super-sub Amy then got onto the act late on with another deflected to round off an emphatic White Swans victory.
Facts
- Balestier have now conceded 67 goals in 24 league matches this season – only bottom-placed Tanjong Pagar have let in more (85).
- Nakano has now scored 19 goals in 20 SPL appearances.
- Amy scored his first SPL goal since August 2023 when he was still with Hougang.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK) (Dylan Pereira 41’), Ryhan Stewart (Helmi Shahrol 87’), Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni (C), Junki Yoshimura, Naoki Yoshioka, Syed Firdaus Hassan (Gareth Low 68’), Haziq Kamarudin (Arshad Shamim 68’), Yohei Otake (Amy Recha 87’), Taiki Maeda, Shingo Nakano.
Unused subs: Daniel Goh, Syahrul Sazali, Hilman Norhisam, Kenji Austin.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh (Sheikh Faris 56’), Cher Garang (Amiruldin Asraf 78’), Madhu Mohana, Harith Kanadi, Alen Kozar (C) (Elijah Lim 29’), Jared Gallagher, Riku Fukashiro, Ignatius Ang (Reycredo Bukit 56’), Anton Fase, Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Emmeric Ong, N Sakthivelchezhian, Abdil Qaiyyim, Tariq Shahid.
Doi is inevitable
Geylang 5-0 Tanjong Pagar | Jalan Besar | 27 February
Ryoya Taniguchi 3′, Vincent Bezecourt 7′, Tomoyuki Doi 52′, pen. 71′, 90′
There was no way back for Tanjong Pagar after Taniguchi’s header and Bezecourt’s free-kick gave them an early two-goal lead. Doi then came on to stunning effect, with a couple of unerring finishes coming on either side of a smooth penalty conversion to take home the match ball.
Facts
- Geylang are now level with the Sailors as the teams who have scored the most goals this season – 79.
- Doi has now equalled the all-time SPL scoring record of 38 goals – set by SAFFC’s Mirko Grabovac in the 2001 season.
- That was also Doi’s eighth hat-trick of the season.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Naqiuddin Eunos (Faisal Shahril 77’), Joshua Pereira (C) (Ahmad Syahir 45’), Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah, Huzaifah Aziz (Hud Ismail 86’), Takahiro Tezuka, Saifullah Akbar (Tomoyuki Doi 46’), Vincent Bezecourt, Iqbal Hussain (Prince Rio Rifae’i 77’), Ryoya Taniguchi.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Syafi Suhaimi, Raiyan Noor, Nur Ikhsanuddin.
Tanjong Pagar: Riki Kimura (GK), Syed Akmal, Timur Talipov, Faizal Roslan (C), Azim Akbar, Rezza Rezky, Tomoki Wada, Hariysh Krishnakumar (Izrafil Yusof 65’), Shodai Nishikawa, Sahil Suhaimi (Zenivio Mota 56’), Syahadat Masnawi (Marcus Mosses 71’).
Unused subs: Prathip Ekamparam (GK), Farid Jafiri, Umar Akhbar, Suhairi Sabri, Saiful Azhar.
