Albirex Niigata (S)’s Daniel Goh in action against Lion City Sailors’ Maxime Lestienne, 25 August 2024
SINGAPORE, 26 AUGUST 2024 – The Singapore Premier League (SPL) title race took another twist with BG Tampines Rovers remaining two points clear at the top after nearest challengers Lion City Sailors fell to a surprise defeat to defending champions Albirex Niigata (S). Elsewhere, third-placed Geylang International fell to a shock defeat to Brunei DPMM, with Balestier Khalsa now just two points behind them after a victory over Hougang United. Meanwhile, Tanjong Pagar United’s struggles continue with a defeat to Young Lions. We recap all the action here…
Tigers continue ascendancy
Balestier 3-1 Hougang | Bishan Stadium | 23 August
Ismail Sassi 6’, Riku Fukashiro 54’, Alen Kozar 63’ | Dejan Račić 21’
https://youtu.be/6BvbzS6mRJ0?si=wgugndRBLCGrltFV
Sassi rifled Fukashiro’s cross home to put the Tigers ahead, before Hougang pulled level through Račić’s glancing header off Shahdan Sulaiman’s freekick. However, the home side restored the lead after the break through Fukashiro’s header from Madhu Mohana’s cross before Kozar sealed the victory with a firm drive from range that crept underneath Hougang goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam.
Facts
- Balestier are now unbeaten in their last four matches.
- Sassi has scored in each of his last four appearances, while Račić has accumulated five in his last three outings.
Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh, Madhu Mohana, Jordan Emaviwe, Fudhil I’yadh (Reycredo Bukit 78’), Alen Kozar (C), Ismail Sassi, Masahiro Sugita, Ignatius Ang (Amiruldin Asraf 83’), Riku Fukashiro, Kodai Tanaka.
Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), Wayne Chew (GK), Emmeric Ong, Amer Hakeem, Elijah Lim, Irfan Mika’il, Darren Teo.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Ensar Brunčević, Faris Hasić, Nazhiim Harman (Adam Reefdy 73’), Ismail Salihović (Ajay Robson 65’), Shahdan Sulaiman, Hazzuwan Halim (Gabriel Quak 73’), Stjepan Plazonja, Shodai Yokoyama, Dejan Račić.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Jordan Vestering, Justin Hui, Zamani Zamri, Louka Vaissierre-Tan, Yasir Nizamudin.
Balestier Khalsa’s Alen Kozar celebrates scoring against Hougang United, 23 August 2024
Jaguars continue to struggle
Tanjong Pagar 1-3 Young Lions | Jurong East | 24 August
Shodai Nishikawa 36’ | Jun Kobayashi 6’, Danish Qayyum 41’, Kieran Teo 54’
https://youtu.be/MP3UOoxU7PE?si=5CCrlSWHBHb8Dw-j
A short corner routine saw Kobayashi nodding in Kan Kobayashi’s cross to put Young Lions ahead, before Nishikawa capitalised on a defensive error to draw Tanjong Pagar level. The away side then retook the lead with Qayyum’s volley creeping inside Fashah Iskandar’s near post, before Teo sealed the win with a firm header off Kaisei Ogawa’s corner.
Facts
- Both Young Lions’ centre-backs Kobayashi and Teo netted in this match.
- Teo scored just his second SPL goal, while that was Qayyum’s third SPL strike – and his first since October 2022.
- Young Lions have already equalled the tally which they accumulated across the 2022 and 2023 seasons – 13 points.
- Tanjong Pagar have now lost their last five outings.
- Tanjong Pagar’s Casey Ethan Sedon made his professional debut.
Tanjong Pagar: Fashah Iskandar (GK), Zenivio Mota, Pathy Malumandsoko (C) (Casey Ethan Sedon 46’), Syed Akmal, Faizal Roslan, Farid Jafiri (Akram Azman 46’), Tomoki Wada, Rezza Rezky (Sahil Suhaimi 62’), Shodai Nishikawa, Salif Cissé, Syahadat Masnawi (Azim Akbar 82’).
Unused subs: Prathip Ekamparam (GK), Riki Kimura (GK), Shahrin Saberin, Umar Akhbar, Daniel Elfian.
Young Lions: Aizil Yazid (GK), Aqil Yazid (Andrew Aw 74’), Jun Kobayashi, Kieran Teo, Nur Adam Abdullah, Kan Kobayashi, Kaisei Ogawa, Farhan Zulkifli (C), Danish Qayyum (Khairin Nadim 68’), Raoul Suhaimi, Itsuki Enomoto.
Unused subs: Travis Ang (GK), Ikram Mikhail, Syafi Nur Hilman, Amir Syafiz, Ethan Pinto, Jonan Tan, Danial Crichton.
Young Lions’ Farhan Zulkifli in action against Tanjong Pagar United, 24 August 2024
Long-awaited win for DPMM
Geylang 2-4 DPMM | Jalan Besar | 24 August
Tomoyuki Doi 64’, 66’ | Miguel Oliveira 5’, Julio Cruz 32’, Hakeme Yazid 39’, 62’
https://youtu.be/kvzNqoQxmA0?si=qjaByrqQIsbbrIrQ
There was no way back for Geylang after Oliveira put DPMM ahead early on with a shot from outside the area. The Portuguese then teed up Cruz to tap home, before Hakeme planted a sweet shot beyond Rudy Khairullah to give the visitors a 3-0 lead before half time. Hakeme then lashed home another stunner to make it four, before Geylang rallied and halved the deficit through two clinical Doi finishes. However, it was too little too late for the Eagles.
Facts
- DPMM won for the first time in 10 matches.
- This was Geylang’s only second loss this season – both defeat came against teams outside the top four.
- Hakeme netted his first brace since June 2023 in DPMM’s 3-2 defeat to Hougang.
- Doi is the first to reach 20 goals for the season – this is already his best-ever SPL scoring season, surpassing the 19-goal haul with Hougang in 2021.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Akmal Azman (Zikos Chua 46’), Rio Sakuma, Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah, Joshua Pereira (C), Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt, Ryoya Taniguchi, Iqbal Hussain (Naqiuddin Eunos 63’), Tomoyuki Doi.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Faisal Shahril, Ahmad Syahir, Hud Ismail, Nabil Zikry, Nur Ikhsanuddin, Hafiy Ismat.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Nazry Aiman (Syafiq Safiuddin 84’), Yura Indera Putera, Nurikhwan Othman, Najib Tarif, Farshad Noor (C), Abdul Hariz Herman (Azwan Saleh 51’), Hanif Farhan (Nazirrudin Ismail 74’), Hakeme Yazid, Miguel Oliveira, Julio Cruz.
Unused subs: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Syafiq Safiuddin, Abdul Mu’iz Sisa, Faturrahman Embran, Hanif Hamir, Haziq Naqiuddin.
Brunei DPMM’s Hakeme Yazid in action against Geylang International, 24 August 2024
White Swans stun Sailors
Albirex 3-1 Sailors | Jurong East | 25 August
Arya Igami Tarhani 70’, Shingo Nakano pen. 81’, 88’ | Lennart Thy 74’
https://youtu.be/gJyos2hK2RQ?si=HOURGRWG5_0_TOXu
The goals came late in this one, with Igami getting to the end of a Yohei Otake pass to rifle Albirex ahead before Thy restored parity almost immediately with a deft header off Maxime Lestienne’s outswinging corner. Nakano then put the White Swans back ahead from the spot, before racing onto Syed Firdaus Hassan’s defence-splitting pass to complete a memorable brace and a remarkable victory for his side.
Facts
- The Sailors have still yet to defeat Albirex at Jurong East since their 2020 inception after seven encounters – in which five of those are losses.
- Albirex are now unbeaten in their last three matches.
- Nakano has scored 10 goals in as many appearances for Albirex this season.
- Thy has scored six goals in his last four SPL appearances.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Junki Yoshimura, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni (C), Gareth Low, Syed Firdaus Hassan, Yojiro Takahagi, Yohei Otake (Ho Wai Loon 85’), Daniel Goh (Arshad Shamim 63’), Arya Igami Tarhani (Kenji Austin 90’+1), Shingo Nakano.
Unused subs: Zainol Gulam (GK), Idraki Adnan, Syukri Bashir, Daniel Martens, Haziq Kamarudin, Hilman Norhisam.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Christopher van Huizen, Lionel Tan, Toni Datković (Anumanthan Kumar 63’), Obren Kljajić (Hafiz Nor 28’), Hami Syahin, Hariss Harun (C), Maxime Lestienne, Shawal Anuar (Adam Swandi 63’), Bart Ramselaar (Song Uiyoung 54’), Lennart Thy.
Unused subs: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Bill Mamadou, Sergio Carmona Pérez, Abdul Rasaq Akeem, Haiqal Pashia.
Albirex Niigata (S)’s Arya Igami Tarhani in action against Lion City Sailors, 25 August 2024
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