Team photo of Tanah Merah United (Photo courtesy of ZGTV Sports)
The Island Wide League (IWL) reaches its climax this Saturday as Tanah Merah United FC face Gymkhana FC in the final at Jurong East Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 6pm.
This year’s IWL has been historic, featuring a record 21 teams split across three groups in a round-robin format. From there, the top two in each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, advanced into the knockout stages.
Tanah Merah United earned their spot in the final after finishing runners-up in Group B with four wins, one draw, and one defeat. Among their highlights was a commanding 10-0 victory over East Dragon FC. In the semi-finals, they kept their composure in a tense clash with Sembawang City FC, eventually prevailing 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. 25-year-old Affan Syahin has been central to their success, leading the team’s scoring charts with seven goals.
Gymkhana, meanwhile, have been the standout side of the competition. Topping their group unbeaten, they boast the best attack (30 goals scored) and meanest defence (four goals conceded) in the tournament. Their quality was on full display in the semi-finals, as they brushed aside Bukit Timah FC with a convincing 4-1 victory. Much of their firepower has come through Sri Lankan midfielder Bawantha Buddhika, who has also netted seven times this campaign.
Both finalists are already assured of promotion to the Singapore Football League Division 2, but with the title and bragging rights at stake, neither side will want to leave Jurong East empty-handed.
