It was the second matchday of the 2025/26 Singapore Cup, and standing on the pitch at the Jurong East Stadium, Albirex Niigata winger Nicky Melvin Singh knew exactly what he needed to do. 

His White Swans were trailing a stubborn Balestier Khalsa side 1-2, and there was a lot of work, and not much time in which to get it done.   

“I was full of mixed feelings when I was substituted on. I knew I had to bring energy to create chaos and make a difference. We were behind at that point, but the boys kept pushing,” he recalled. 

“And we believed something would come.”

Singh’s introduction provided just the spark Albirex were looking for. The momentum began to swing in the White Swan’s favour, and came to a crescendo in the third minute of stoppage time. Kim Tae-uk met a Naoki Yoshioka corner with a powerful header to level the score, but Singh knew that his team was not done yet.

And he would cap off a dramatic comeback for the White Swans just five minutes later. 

The ability to dig deep when it matters will be important when Albirex take on a bruised Tanjong Pagar side in their third cup game at the Jurong East Stadium on Sunday, 23 November. And the memory of that sensation is still fresh in Singh’s mind.  

“When I saw Danish Qayyum’s cross come into the box, I attacked the ball with everything I had. As the ball hit the back of the net, pure relief and excitement rushed through my body,” said the matchwinner, whose goal sealed a 3-2 win for Albriex. 

The winger recently recovered from a long anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury lay-off, and moments like these felt extra special. Even with most of his minutes coming from the bench, Singh has already underlined his value with three goals in four substitute appearances. 

“I’m still working on getting back to full sharpness and back to my best,” he said. “On the bench, I always pay attention to the flow of the match and look for moments where I can make an impact.” 

“Whenever I’m called upon, I try to be aggressive and create problems for the opponents –  be it through pressing, dribbling, or getting into the box.”
 

His goals have since propelled Albirex to the top of the Singapore Cup table with two wins from two games, putting them in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals. But even with the White Swans leading the pack, Singh knows the job is far from done.

“Winning games only pushes us to keep our standards high and continue building on this momentum,” he said. “Our full focus is on taking it step by step, staying disciplined, and doing everything to move closer to the semi-finals.” 

Albirex can take a massive step towards their target on Sunday, against a Jaguars side currently languishing at the bottom of the Singapore Cup table with two losses in two games. 

But Singh knows his opponents will definitely be up for a fight. 

“Tanjong Pagar are a tough side who work hard and fight for every ball. They have players who can hurt us if we switch off, so it's going to be a very competitive and physical match,” he said. 

“We must maintain our intensity from the start and execute the game plan well to get a positive result.” 

That drive for consistency will be important as Albirex seeks to wrestle the Singapore Cup crown away from holders Lion City Sailors, with Singh insisting that there is no room for complacency.

“Qualification (for the semi-finals) is not yet secured, and anything can happen in cup competitions if we drop our standards,” he said. 

“Instead, we will stay grounded and hungry as a team. Everyone treats each game seriously, and if we maintain that, we will give ourselves a good chance at finishing at the top of the group.” 

Tickets for Singapore Cup 2025/26 are available on Trip.com.