SINGAPORE, 26 APRIL 2025 – The Singapore Premier League (SPL) action resumed with Lion City Sailors easing past defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) to go eight points clear at the top, while Balestier United edged Hougang United to climb to fourth spot. We recap the action here…
Tigers climb to fourth
Balestier 2-1 Hougang | Our Tampines Hub | 24 April
Anton Fase 10′, Riku Fukashiro 70′ | Stjepan Plazonja 53′
Fase converted Fukashiro’s teasing low cross to put Balestier ahead, before Plazonja’s cross-shot somehow evaded Hafiz Ahmad to restore parity for Hougang. However, the Tigers retook the lead with Fukashiro slamming in the rebound after Alen Kozar’s initial shot was saved and they eventually held on for all three points.
Facts
- Balestier are now unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions.
- Fase has scored four goals in seven SPL appearances for Balestier.
- Fukashiro has equalled his 2023 tally of eight goals when he was still an Albirex player.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh, Madhu Mohana, Cher Garang, Harith Kanadi (Fudhil I’yadh 79’), Alen Kozar (C), Jared Gallagher, Riku Fukashiro (Abdil Qaiyyim 90’+4), Masahiro Sugita, Anton Fase (Ignatius Ang 84’), Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Emmeric Ong, Elijah Lim, Amiruldin Asraf, N Sakthivelchezhian, Abdil Qaiyyim, Sheikh Faris.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Tajeli Salamat, Anders Aplin, Daniel Henrique, Jordan Vestering, Shahdan Sulaiman, Ismail Salihović ((Tan-Vaissierre Louka 84’), Nazrul Nazari (C) (Hazzuwan Halim 78’), Shodai Yokoyama, Stjepan Plazonja, Dejan Račić.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Danish Irfan, Hazzuwan Halim, Justin Hui, Nazhiim Harman, Zamani Zamri, Ratthathammanun Deeying.
Sailors take one step closer to title
Albirex 0-2 Sailors | Our Tampines Hub | 29 April
Toni Datković 25’, Shawal Anuar 78′
Datković gave the Sailors a first-half breakthrough via a firm header off Diogo Costa’s cross, before super-sub Shawal capitalised on an Albirex defensive error to net from close range and seal a comfortable victory for the title chasers.
Facts
- The Sailors are unbeaten in their last 15 SPL matches.
- Albirex have now gone seven games in all competitions without a win.
- Sailors’ Izwan Mahbud have now kept three straight SPL clean sheets – that was his eighth league shutout of the season, just one behind league-leading Syazwan Buhari from BG Tampines Rovers.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK) (C), Daniel Martens, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni, Syahrul Sazali (Sim Jun Yen 76’), Naoki Yoshioka, Yohei Otake (C), Haziq Kamarudin (Junki Yoshimura 74’), Shuhei Hoshino, Daniel Goh (Jaden Heng 90’+2), Shingo Nakano.
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Amy Recha, Syukri Bashir, Hilman Norhisam, Rauf Anaqi Khan.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Hami Syahin (Christopher van Huizen 65’), Lionel Tan, Bailey Wright (C), Toni Datković, Diogo Costa, Maxime Lestienne (Abdul Rasaq Akeem 88’), Rui Pires, Hariss Harun (C), Song Uiyoung, Bart Ramselaar, Lennart Thy (Shawal Anuar 70’).
Unused subs: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Anumanthan Kumar, Hafiz Nor, Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Haiqal Pashia, Akram Azman.
