SINGAPORE, 31 MARCH 2025 – BG Tampines Rovers finished top of Group A after a thrashing of Hougang United, a result which also meant Brunei DPMM sneaked into the semi-finals as the runners-up. Meanwhile, Young Lions emphatically swept aside Albirex Niigata (S) to finish the group stage on a high. 

Over in Group B, Cup holders Lion City Sailors held Thai League 1 side BG Pathum United in a result which meant they made it through as the first and second-placed teams respectively. Elsewhere, Balestier Khalsa eased past Tanjong Pagar United to finish third. 

We recap all the action here… 

White Swans humbled

Young Lions 7-1 Albirex | Jalan Besar | 28 March

Kaisei Ogawa 6', 21', 57', 65', Kan Kobayashi 13', 80', Amir Syafiz 61' | Daniel Goh 10'

Ogawa’s early individual effort was quickly cancelled by Daniel Goh’s clinical equaliser, but Kobayashi restored Young Lions’ lead with a great volley before Ogawa poked in from close range. After Albirex went down to 10 men after Gareth Low’s sending off, the goals flowed for Young Lions. Ogawa caught Dylan Pereira out with a cheeky free-kick to complete his hat-trick, before Amir nodded home Kobayashi’s corner. Ogawa then netted a fourth, before Kobayashi benefitted from Stevia Egbus Mikuni’s error to complete a resounding win. 

Facts

• Young Lions equalled their biggest-ever win in history – a 7-1 league win over Sinchi FC on 23 September 2004. 

• Albirex have now lost three straight games in all competitions, conceding a total of 14 goals in the process. 

• Albirex’s Jaden Heng and Sim Jun Yen made their professional debuts. 

Young Lions: Rauf Erwan (GK), Fairuz Fazli, Ikram Mikhail, Bill Mamadou, Raoul Suhaimi (C), Kan Kobayashi, Ethan Pinto (Danish Haqimi 66’), Kaisei Ogawa (Fathullah Rahmat 75’), Ryu Hardy (Jun Kobayashi 58’), Andrew Aw (Syafi Nur Hilman 66’), Amir Syafiz (Ryan Vishal 75’). 

Unused subs: Firman Nabil (GK), Aqil Yazid, Iryan Fandi, Danish Qayyum.  

Albirex: Dylan Pereira (GK), Junki Yoshimura (Haziq Kamarudin 68’), Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni, Syahrul Sazali (Kenji Austin 46’), Naoki Yoshioka, Gareth Low (C), Shuhei Hoshino, Daniel Goh (Sim Jun Yen 68’), Jaden Heng (Amy Recha 58’), Syukri Bashir (Helmi Shahrol 58’). 

Unused subs: Hassan Sunny (GK), Maeda Taiki, Hilman Norhisam. 

Red Card – Gareth Low (Albirex) 49’

Stags seal passage to semis

Hougang 1-5 BG Tampines | Jalan Besar | 29 March

Tan-Vaissierre Louka 79' | Itsuki Enomoto 49', Shah Shahiran pen. 66', Dylan Fox 81', Faris Ramli 84', 90+4'

Enomoto diverted Miloš Zlatković’s cross home to break the deadlock, before Shah doubled BG Tampines’ lead from the spot. While Tan pulled one back for Hougang with a fine finish, the Stags restored their two-goal advantage through Fox’s header off Arya Igami Tarhani’s corner. Super-sub Faris then notched up a clinical brace to round off a convincing victory. 

Facts

• BG Tampines have now won three straight games in all competition, accumulating a total of 13 goals in the process. 

• Enomoto has now scored in three consecutive appearances for BG Tampines. 

• Faris netted his first brace since September 2023 in a 5-0 Cup win over Young Lions. 

• Louka scored just his second career goal – both have come in the Singapore Cup. 

Hougang: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Anders Aplin (Farhan Zulkifli 67’), Tajeli Salamat, Daniel Henrique, Jordan Vestering, Zulfahmi Arifin, Shahdan Sulaiman, Nazrul Nazari (C), Shodai Yokoyama (Hazzuwan Halim 85’), Stjepan Plazonja, Dejan Račić (Tan-Vaissierre Louka 77’).

Unused subs: Isaac Jonathan (GK), Danish Irfan, Nazhiim Harman, Gabriel Quak, Zamani Zamri, Ayan Jarique.  

BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb (Amirul Adli 77’), Shuya Yamashita, Dylan Fox, Miloš Zlatković, Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura (Yasir Hanapi 85’), Glenn Kweh (Arya Igami Tarhani 77’), Joel Chew (Faris Ramli 60’), Seia Kunori, Itsuki Enomoto. 

Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Amirul Haikal, Kegan Phang, Kieran Tan. 

Tigers end campaign on high

Balestier 3-0 Tanjong Pagar | Bishan | 29 March 

Kodai Tanaka 13', 18', Masahiro Sugita 76'

A teasing Riku Fukashiro cross teed up Tanaka for a neat opener for Balestier, before the latter benefitted from a slack Hariysh Krishnakumar backpass to net a second. Sugita then bundled home Darren Teh’s low cross to seal the three points for the Tigers. 

Facts

• Tanaka has now scored in his last three appearances, chalking up a total of four goals. 

• Balestier’s Hafiz Ahmad has three clean sheets in 27 games in all competitions this season – all of which have come against Tanjong Pagar. 

Balestier: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Darren Teh (Ignatius Ang 78’), Madhu Mohana (Emmeric Ong 87’), Cher Garang, Fudhil I’yadh (Harith Kanadi 78’), Alen Kozar (C), Jared Gallagher, Riku Fukashiro, Masahiro Sugita (Amiruldin Asraf 90’+3), Anton Fase (Elijah Lim 87’), Kodai Tanaka. 

Unused subs: Martyn Mun (GK), N Sakthivelchezhian, Abdil Qaiyyim, Sheikh Faris.  

Tanjong Pagar: Matthew Silva (GK) (C), Syed Akmal, Timur Talipov, Faizal Roslan, Azim Akbar, Raihan Rahman (Izrafil Yusof 85’), Hariysh Krishnakumar (Zenivio Mota 21’), Thorsten Takashi Cross (Farid Jafiri 85’), Tomoki Wada, Sahil Suhaimi (Marcus Mosses 46’), Syahadat Masnawi (Salif Cissé 70’). 

Unused subs: Riki Kimura (GK), Umar Akhbar, Aloysius Pang.

10-man Sailors show grit

BG Pathum 1-1 Sailors | Jalan Besar | 30 March

Thanet Suknate 90+3' | Abdul Rasaq Akeem 35’

Despite going down to 10 men early on after a straight red card to Song Uiyoung, the Sailors led for large periods courtesy of Rasaq’s long-range piledriver. However, BG Pathum would rescue a share of the spoils with Suknate heading home Kanokpon Puspakom’s corner. 

Facts

• The Sailors extended their unbeaten record against Thai opposition this season to six matches in all competitions, with four wins and two draws.

• The Sailors are unbeaten in their last 10 Singapore Cup matches since a 2-1 defeat to Albirex in October 2022. 

BG Pathum: Jung Hyeon-ho (GK), Thanet Suknate, Hwang Myeonghyeon, Khatawut Poladao (Ikhsan Fandi 87’), Wachirawut Saenchek, Seydine N'Diaye (C) (Kongnat Thuamthongdee 77’), Teerapat Pruetong (Thanakon Papaphe 68’), Nattawut Suksum, Kodai Tanaka, Kanokpon Puspakom, Chananan Pombubpha. 

Unused subs: Issarapong Waewdee (GK), Anan Samaae. 

Sailors: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Hafiz Nor (Akram Azman 77’), Lionel Tan, Hariss Harun (C), Toni Datković, Sergio Carmona Pérez (Christopher van Huizen 77’), Rui Pires, Song Uiyoung, Nathan Mao (Hami Syahin 57’), Obren Kljajić (Shawal Anuar 68’), Abdul Rasaq Akeem (Lennart Thy 77’). 

Unused subs: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Anumanthan Kumar, Haiqal Pashia, Bailey Wright. 

Red Card – Song Uiyoung (Sailors) 5’