Seventh Heaven As Tampines Roar Back In Style

The Stags knew this opening league fixture of 2026 was about far more than just three points. It was about response. It was about momentum. Above all, it was about reminding the rest of the league what they are capable of.

And they did so in emphatic fashion.

“⁠Respond.” Head Coach Noh Rahman had just one word to describe the objective of the night succinctly. “The outcome last Saturday was a big setback for us, but we could not let that 1 game define our season. And tonight, we stepped up and overcame this hard moment together as a group.”

Coach Noh’s team put on a dominant display in a 7–1 victory over the Young Lions at Our Tampines Hub, bouncing back in the best possible way and moving to three wins from their first five league matches in what has been a uniquely disrupted domestic season. Despite the campaign starting in August, only four league games had been played prior to the season break - a situation that made every early result all the more significant.

New signing Raoul Suhaimi shared that the squad was determined to put last weekend’s result firmly behind them. “What we experienced in the final was a disappointment, so it was good that we bounced back for this match,” he said. “I felt that it was a good response overall.”

The technical team made just one change from the Cup final, with Shah Shahiran returning to the heart of midfield, and his presence was immediately felt. Having missed the entire Singapore Cup campaign through suspension - and benefiting from the extended rest caused by the competition being played during the break - the midfielder looked refreshed, sharp, and eager to impose himself.

At the back, the aforementioned Raoul made his league debut against his former club at right-back, just a week after his club debut in the Cup Final. He lined up alongside Irfan Najeeb, who celebrated his 150th appearance in Yellow and Black with another assured display. Syazwan Buhari captained the side from goal, with Singapore internationals lining up at both ends - Izwan Mahbud returning in goal for Young Lions.

A Bright Start

Tampines made a bright start, asserting themselves early and earning their reward. In the seventh minute, Koya Kazama found space on the right side to float in a teasing delivery that picked out an unmarked Hide Higashikawa, only for Izwan to produce a superb save to deny the Japanese forward’s free header. It proved only a brief reprieve. Moments later, Hide would not be denied, finishing first time from inside the box after Koya again intelligently drove into the area to pick him out.

However, just after the restart - before the celebrations had even settled - Young Lions struck back. A rare moment of careless interplay at the back was pounced upon, allowing the visitors to snatch a shock equaliser and momentarily shift the mood inside the stadium.

It served as a reminder. Up to that point, Tampines had been dominant, but the equaliser injected belief into a youthful Young Lions side, who pushed 10 to 20 yards higher and began to grow in confidence.

That confidence was short-lived, however.

Midway through the half, Hide was released clean through on goal by a delightful ball over the top of the defence. Izwan rushed out and was adjudged to have made contact, enough to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity. The referee had no hesitation in producing a straight red, a decision that stood after a lengthy VAR review. It was a cruel end to what had been a highly anticipated return for the former Lion City Sailors custodian.

Goals Galore

From the resulting free-kick, Koya produced a moment of pure quality. His strike flew into the top corner, leaving substitute goalkeeper Aizil Yazid helpless and drawing gasps from the home crowd. Minutes later, Koya was at it again, this time capitalising on a mistake as the Young Lions custodian attempted to play out from the back, calmly finishing into an empty net to make it 3-1.

Such was his confidence that Koya later attempted an audacious strike from distance, hoping to catch Yazid off his line - a moment that underlined Tampines’ complete control.

The pressure kept mounting, and it told again when Hide grabbed his second of the night, finishing clinically after intricate vertical passing outside the box ended with Takeshi Yoshimoto slipping him through. Shah then tested the goalkeeper from range as the half drew to a close, before Glenn Kweh ensured there would be no respite for the visitors.

Just before the break, the club’s top scorer in the league (at this point) rose highest to meet Takeshi’s pinpoint cross, powering home a header to make it five. Notably, none of the goals or assists involved Trent Buhagiar, who has 14 goal contributions in 16 Stags games so far - a timely reminder of the squad’s attacking depth and variety.

Sustained Pressure 

The second half followed a similar pattern. Five minutes after the restart, Glenn saw an effort crash off the underside of the crossbar after being afforded time and space just inside the box. Soon after, Seiga Sumi - deployed in central defence - came close with a powerful header from a corner that was clawed away. 

New signing Yuki Kobayashi was introduced in the 68th minute for Joel Chew, making his league debut and immediately showing sharpness with some slick one-touch football that nearly opened up the defence.

The sixth goal arrived soon after. Hide completed his hat-trick with a well-taken header, once again assisted by Koya, as the duo continued a telepathic partnership that has become increasingly difficult to contain throughout this campaign. Moments later, it was seventh heaven. Hide made no mistake from close-range to notch his fifth league goal of the season and Tampines’ seventh, as rain poured down on Our Tampines Hub and The Stand erupted.

With the job well done, Head Coach Noh Rahman rotated his side late on. Jacob Mahler replaced Seiga to slot in alongside Irfan, while a triple change in the 80th minute saw Taufik Suparno, Amirul Haikal and 19-year-old Kegan Phang introduced for Glenn, Takeshi and Raoul respectively.

The final whistle confirmed Tampines’ biggest win over Young Lions since September 2022, when they triumphed 7-0 - and more importantly, a timely boost to their goal difference, which could yet prove decisive in a tight title race. The win also elevates the Stags to second in the table, just four points off the pace.

Reflections

A growth mindset means finding improvements to gain every edge, even in what seems to be splendid performances, and Head Coach Noh Rahman is sure to find even more ways to bring the team forward.

“There are many areas where we can still improve. (For example,) I would like to see us regaining the ball higher up the pitch in both defending and attacking (phases), utilising Trent’s ability to impose more threat to the opposition.” Coach Noh pondered.

Despite being just two games into his Tampines career, Raoul already appears to have embraced the standards set and demanded at the club. “I learnt about the high standards that we need to maintain while playing for Tampines,” he said. “Every pass, tackle and shot is crucial if we want to be champions.”

Head Coach Noh also sang his high praises, adding, “⁠He has only joined the team for 3 weeks but the group did not take long to accept both him and (fellow returnee) Ong (Yu En). Raoul is a young player with big potential and from the 2 games he played, I thought he added value to the team.”

Facing his former club inevitably carried an emotional edge, but the defender was clear about where his focus lies. “It was a bit emotional to compete against my former team and I am always thankful for the experiences they gave me,” he added. “But I want to give my best for BG Tampines Rovers now.”

Looking Ahead

After last weekend’s heartbreak, this was the perfect response. Focused, yet ferocious. With big fixtures on the horizon in the ASEAN Club Championship and AFC Champions League Two, The Stags showed they are ready to move forward - not dwell on what's past.

“⁠It was a shame that we couldn’t give them the joy they deserve last Saturday but the whole team really appreciates their support so far. There is plenty of football to be played and we hope they will stay with us through this journey.” said Coach Noh.

At this level, a degree of unrelenting ruthlessness is required. On this night, BG Tampines Rovers had it in abundance, and will take spirit in that fact for the matches to come.