Hat-Trick Hero Hide Propels Stags To Group A Summit

For the fourth time in 2025, familiar foes BG Tampines Rovers and BG Pathum United squared off, this time in an eagerly anticipated ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup clash. The Stags had the honour of becoming the first local side to play on the brand-new Jalan Besar Stadium natural turf, and they were determined to claim victory on its opening day.

Riding high from their historic qualification to the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two knockout rounds, the Stags entered this match full of confidence and determination. With the euphoria of that achievement still lingering, the boys in Black and Yellow were eager to channel that momentum into the Shopee Cup, as they looked to turn the page and reignite their campaign with a statement performance.

However, standing in their way was a determined Pathum Thani-based side aiming to break their winless streak against the Stags, having failed to defeat Tampines in their last three encounters this year. Head Coach Noh Rahman has evidently chosen to stick with his winning formula for the night, naming an unchanged lineup from the previous ACL Two fixture against Kaya FC-Iloilo. 

The Rabbits Hop Ahead

From the first whistle, the Thai giants looked to seize control, but the Stags were relentless in their pressing, putting the visitors under constant pressure. A familiar face in Tomoyuki Doi, last season’s Singapore Premier League (SPL) Golden Boot winner, broke the deadlock with a clinical finish, giving The Rabbits the lead in the 7th minute.

Barely a few minutes later though, the Stags won a massive opportunity to level things up as the referee pointed to the spot after Hide Higashikawa was brought down in the box. The penalty was unfortunately not to be for Shah Shahiran, with Thai goalkeeper Saranon Anuin diving brilliantly to deny the hosts an equalizer. To add further misery to the home fans, Raniel Santana rose highest in the 27th minute to head home a perfectly weighted cross into the box, extending BG Pathum’s lead.

Despite the unfavourable start to the match, The Stand continued to rally behind their team, knowing that the team’s determination had gotten them out of these situations before. Undeterred by the early setbacks, the Stags maintained their composure and continued to create bright opportunities across the pitch. Glenn came close to pulling one back for The Stags in the 40th minute, firing a brilliant strike on target after Hide’s excellent delivery - but the hosts were left frustrated once more, after the visitors made a remarkable goal-line save to deny Tampines from clawing back.

In the dying moments of the first half, The Stags finally fashioned a way through. Hide made no mistake and calmly slotted in a precise pass from Trent Buhagiar, sending The Stand into jubilation, as they notched an all-important goal before the half-time whistle to halve the deficit. Despite still trailing at the break, the home side remained optimistic that a spirited performance in the second half could spark a thrilling comeback and secure the win. Reflecting on the first half, Coach Noh Rahman admitted, “The goal just before half-time gave us hope going into the second-half. We were not 100% in the first 25 minutes, but that was something that we had to address at half-time.”

The Inspiring Comeback

The Stags kicked off the second half with a calm and measured approach, confident that their patience would pave the road to a way back in the contest. While the Rabbits dominated possession, Tampines began to settle into their rhythm, creating promising chances for an equaliser. In the 59th minute, Koya Kazama struck another shot on goal after Trent’s fantastic cross across the box, only to be brilliantly palmed away again by the goalkeeper.

In the 61st minute, a frantic corner kick caused havoc in the visitor’s box. After a display of grit and resilience to keep the ball in play, Hide's effort took a deflection and found the net, with the leveler bringing the Stags back into the game. The Stand erupted in joy, but there was a sense that the job was not done yet - the hosts had clawed back a point in style, but could they snatch all three?

Looking to find out, Tampines made a double substitution, bringing on Faris and Jacob for Glenn and Shah, injecting fresh energy as they pushed for the winning goal. Another substitute came in the 74th minute as Joel Chew came on for Koya Kazama, maintaining stability in the midfield, as they marched ahead relentlessly. Then, came the moment Stags fans were holding their bated breath for. 

Gliding past defenders with ease, Hide powered his third goal of the night in the 78th minute with a move reminiscent of some of the great Number 9’s of the game, delivering a clinical strike into the corner of the net, rounding off a dominant and remarkable performance. In sensational form, the Number 25 from Ishikawa put the Stags ahead, completing a stunning comeback with his first career hat-trick - his fifth goal in three games of the Shopee Cup campaign. The comeback was complete.

Another pair of substitutes came in the 82nd minute as Taufik Suparno and Tara Ndao replaced Hide and Trent to raucous applause, with the hosts seeking to see out the match. When the final whistle blew, The Stand once again had reason to erupt in cheers as their Stags clinched all three points with a spectacular comeback, keeping their undefeated record in 2025 against their partner club.

Full-Time Thoughts

With the hard-fought win, Head Coach Noh Rahman asserted: “I am happy with the result but we need to learn from our lessons. In these kinds of competitions, we need to give our best from the first minute. Overall, I think we made it difficult for ourselves.”

With upcoming fixtures in mind across yet more competitions to come, the gaffer added: “It is important to try and maintain this form and keep the momentum going. The most important thing is to start every game at 100% in every competition”.

While it was a night of an inspiring individual performance, deserving Man-Of-The-Match Hide was also quick to acknowledge the efforts of the team: “I will try to focus on my task to contribute to the team, to maintain our momentum and to continue to build on our confidence.”

The well-deserved victory means the Stags leapfrog to the top of Group A of the Shopee Cup. While it is now time to celebrate, it is also important to look ahead, as their focus now turns to the final group stage game of the ACL Two campaign - against the same opponents, who will be sure to look for payback when Tampines visits Pathum Thani Stadium on December 11.