The SPL season finally starts in a few days with the Community Shield, and just like most teams in the SPL, the SailorFanTalk squad has had a bit of a revamp too, with several writers, editors, and interviewers coming onboard.
To kick off the SPL season, I invited each of our new writers to weigh in with their own SPL preview, including a short writeup discussing each team and their end-of-season SPL table prediction. Let’s hear what Ernest, Joseph Chin, Bryan, and Reuben have to say!
Ernest
The 25/26 season will witness many firsts, none more prominent than the foreigner matchday quota being increased to 7. This leaves 4 starting spots for our local players, and it remains to be seen how this change will impact the league and National Team set up. That being said, taking a look at how the squads are shaping up, we can make an educated guess as to how the season will pan out. Below are my thoughts, in the order of my predicted 25/26 table:
1st: Lion City Sailors FC
No surprises here. The team with the most resources are likely to run away with the title, perhaps with an even bigger gap to the nearest challenger. The marquee signing on everyone’s radar is Anderson Lopes. His CV trumps most, having been the top scorer in J1 for the past 2 seasons and helping Yokohama F. Marinos to reach the 2024 ACL final. He would likely repeat his scoring antics in Singapore, but I do not foresee Tomoyuki Doi’s frankly ridiculous golden boot record being broken any time soon. LCS are less reliant on a focal centre forward to score goals, and we could well see Lopes deployed on the wings at times (with a certain Maxime Lestienne leaving in January as things stand). He can also rotate with Lennart and Shawal, more than capable of wrecking havoc in the league. We are competing on multiple fronts and minutes will inevitably have to be shared.
The signing that really excites me is Tsiy Ndenge. It is acknowledged that football games are won and lost in the midfield. With Ndenge’s arrival, we have secured a player profile that promises to be game-changing. A quick google search of his name will pull up YouTube highlight reels of his time at Grasshopper Club Zurich. Capable of performing multiple roles, the German has played down Pogba comparisons. I am sure we will be proud of having our very own Ndenge.
LCS should aim to be the best defence in the league again, and let our attacking talents do their thing. An expected professional job, nothing less.
2nd: Geylang International FC
No Doi, no problem. Despite losing their scoring talisman, Geylang have strengthened on multiple fronts, and will likely benefit from their Eastern rivals having a transitional year. Noor Ali’s team have gone from strength to strength, finishing a respectable 3rd last season, something that has not been achieved by the club for some time now. The reason I see them pipping Tampines this year? The Eagles have chosen to recruit tried-and-tested SPL stalwarts who are upgrades on their previous personnel (bar the magnificent Doi). In comes Riku Fukashiro, Shodai Yokoyama, Kaisei Ogawa and Shuhei Hoshino. Sure, they are not capable of scoring 44 league goals each, but with the new foreigner rule in place the team should see an increase in quality on the pitch.
Geylang will surely benefit from a shorter season, no continental nor regional football to contend with. Their thin squad will likely survive the season and mark an improvement on last season.
3rd: BG Tampines Rovers FC
Perhaps I’m bold for predicting a bronze medal for Tampines, which essentially constitutes another trophyless season for them. Yes, LCS are sweeping the domestic treble. But why third? Transitions rarely go well at the start, and losing their head coach and marquee foreigners will hurt immediately. Even the most fervent of haters will acknowledge Gavin Lee is one of Singapore’s best coaches. Reappointing Akbar Nawas seems to be taking a few steps backward. Add to the unsavoury mix the foreign core being dismantled and I foresee a long season ahead for the Stags.
Tampines really trailed off during the new year, and that was after their unceremonious ACL2 elimination. With the added distraction of the ACC Club Championship – affectionately known as the Shopee Cup, this new squad will likely struggle to perform right out the blocks. Is my bias speaking against them? Probably. But logic dictates fundamental changes will take some getting used to, and by the time this happens the other 2 clubs would have pulled clear.
Trent Buhagiar would be a familiar name to A-League observers, and will definitely add a new dimension to their fresh attack with his pace and dynamism. Looking elsewhere, they have recruited from the Japanese football ecosystem to plug the gaps left by Seia, Kyoga and Milos. Quality players they might be and become, but the multitude of factors mentioned above will contribute to their slight regression this year.
4th: Albirex Niigata (S)
It was not too long ago that the Japanese feeder club dominated Singaporean football. Then they went “local” and went through a slump and drop in standards, even culminating in the dismissal of the popular Kazuaki Yoshinaga. It has been an entire season since, the dust has settled, and the foreign outfit has learnt the effects of parity.
The additional foreign starting spot next season should provide a welcome boost to the six-time SPL champions, who have once again recruited from Japanese outfits. This formula has worked wonders for them throughout their prolific stint in Singaporean football, and the White Swans seem to be one of the teams that would benefit most from the rule changes. A competitive Albirex can only be a good thing for the league.
5th: Tanjong Pagar United FC
Disclaimer: this preview was written after Aaron Evans’ feature on Sports Minutes. He spoke of the Jaguars’ ambitions to finish second and I commend his confidence. Adjusted with inflated expectations, I can see them finishing as the “best of the rest”. Their social media team has also been busy updating the incomings, something that cannot be said of other clubs (I’m looking at you Hougang and Young Lions).
Granted, this is still a team that has retained players that finished bottom of the league last season. However, looking at the calibre of foreigners brought in it is hard not to be excited for an upturn in fortunes. Giving the charismatic Noh Alam Shah a full pre-season to set expectations may do wonders.
6th: Hougang United FC
Have the social media admins lost the account passwords? The Cheetahs have been quiet on all fronts, with their fan group Hougang Hools providing more content. There hasn’t been much to shout about for their fans, with a disastrous 12-0 friendly loss to the colossal JDT to boot. They have lost their top scorers in Racic and Plazonja, while local stalwarts Shahdan and Nazrul have not extended their contracts. It has been a huge overhaul for their squad, but early signs do not bode well for the season ahead.
LCS fans may want to keep an eye on Hougang, with our custodian Zharfan Rohaizad joining on a loan and Haiqal Pashia donning the orange jersey after many years of service for the Sailors. Highly rated defender Ryaan Sanizal has also bolstered their ranks. Hougang shouldn’t rustle too many feathers and will sit squarely in mid-table.
7th: Young Lions
A new season promises a fresh start for Young Lions. The developmental squad are no stranger to change, with the latest iteration being helmed by U21 winning coach Firdaus Kassim. There is a strong LCS theme at the Young Lions, with many of our promising academy talents plying their trade there this season. Keep a lookout for Harry Spence, a left-footed right winger who has shown glimpses of being the next Lestienne.
Even though there is much potential in this squad, the stronger competition this year coupled with the youth’s lack of experience and physicality at this level, it is hard to see them racking up many points against the big boys. Managing expectations, this season should be judged as a platform for them to showcase their talents and secure bigger moves elsewhere.
8th: Balkan Khalsa
The Balkan theme is prevalent at Balestier, with the majority of their new signings hailing from the region, and the reappointment of a familiar Marko Kraljević. Peter de Roo left the club after a relatively successful stint in terms of playing style and results. Balestier have lost much of what made them attractive to watch. The mood around the club is not optimistic to say the least.
With a major shift back to conservative football, along with the loss of the dynamic Kodai Tanaka, the Tigers could struggle against the calibre of the other bolstered squads. A drop from fourth to last might sound drastic, but that is where I’m placing my chips.
Ernest’s Prediction:
- LCS
- Geylang
- Tampines
- Albirex
- Tanjong Pagar
- Hougang
- Young Lions
- Balestier
Joseph Chin
This season promises to be more of the same, and yet different. While I won’t be sad to see DPMM exiting the league, the slight yawning gaps in between league action does leave questions of how sharpened our team will be after the “win-ter” break especially with the ACL2 matches out of the way.
Champions: Sailors. Not much needs to be said except to see how our squad rotates to ensure a somewhat fair distribution of playing time, and fair-play to them when it comes to eminently winnable fixtures calibrated just nice to match our opponent’s quality any given day. All that is left is for us to figure out how to neuter the near-obligatory disruptor in defensive midfield attempting to a) stem our attacking flow and b) not injure our key players.
[which is quite true, an early season injury to Kodai Tanaka back then blunted our strikeforce that required multiple remedial actions that affected our season]
Top bracket
Predicted Positions: Tampines, Geylang and Albirex (in that order)
The fight for the Asian places will boil down to the tight margins in games that may change the complexion of the race in an instant. Geylang’s recruitment has been excellent thus far by settling key positions while adding squad depth and width with a big Japanese slant.
With Kaisei Ogawa, Riku Fukashiro, Ryoya Taniguchi and Jumbo Shuhei Hoshino being ready to plug-and-play up front given their experience in the SPL, all eyes will be on the new look defence of Korean university player Ko Jae-hyun, Serbian Nikola Ignatovic and injury returnee Joshua Pereira who needs to match the intensity and consistency required to maintain a long season of footy even without continental action. Noor Ali might also need to worry about an otherwise lightweight spine in the middle with Naufal Azman the only other change-maker in the team who is nowhere near Bezecourt quality.
Tampines might still come in at second provided that their recruits who are scouted direct from the J Leagues can bed in faster than the usual Albirex prep school route that most of the current crop Japanese footballers take. With every other team excepting the Sailors and Young Lions fielding Japanese players (whose samba flavours mimic the trend of J League clubs’ dependency on Brazilian players for their foreign player quotas) there is no shortage of familiarity and expectation of how the intensely technical games will unfold.
Koya Kazama is the pick of the crop for Tampines while with most of the defence retained (including the fox in the box Dylan Fox and Shuya Yamashita), Trent Buhagiar will need to justify his status as a serving international for Malta to mount a challenge to the Sailors and in the ACL2.
In particular, with many of these Japanese players forgoing home comforts and passionate fanbases for the unknowns of the ACL2 and lukewarm attendances, while being expected to deliver and build on the good work of Seia, Kyoga and Doi and lift interest in the league as well, trust these guys to take on the task of leading the players in increased professionalism and competitiveness against the Sailors
As much as Akbar Nawas’ appointment is derided for being regressive, the flipside would range from the argument of him being a benchwarmer for a foreign coach to match our appointment of Rankovic, to a light touch style of management that allows the likes of Faris Ramli, Jacob Mahler, Shah Shahiran, Glenn Kweh and Zikos Chua to showcase a fluid style of play inherited from Gavin and also focus more on man-management as opposed to a traditional micromanaging style that is both tactics-heavy and overly rigid in approach.
Albirex has gone back to their Japanese roots, but with a nod to modernity as a Singaporean core is taking shape with Jared Gallagher, Nicky Melvin Singh and Junki Yoshimura offering high upsides on the local selections. A returning Takahiro Koga will also be important in stabilizing a defence that seems lightweight even with the addition of two Korean defenders (which isn’t a big surprise since they are schooled in the Japanese system like Zainichi Korean legend Lee Tadanari). Lee Dong-yeol looks promising up front, which means that Amy Recha will have to buck up as the main local in order to assist key striker Shingo Nakano.
Bottom Half
Predicted Positions: Too Close to Call. Depends on who shows up and doesn’t, any given Sunday
This is one season that the much maligned chairman of Tanjong Pagar has done things relatively right. The lack of TMSG comments on the likes of Emilio Estevez Tsai and Bruno Dybal point to a more steady recruitment from the chairman, regardless of the affordability of the squad.
Having pointed out previously that other league teams might try to get regional internationals to at least stand a fighting chance against the firepower of the Sailors and Tampines (and test their own standards as well), the Chinese Taipei attacker Estevez will be looking to form a formidable partnership with Timor Leste winger Zenivio who has been their standout player last season.
Others like Aaron Evans, Youssef Ezzajjari and Kim Ri-gwan boast experience in Asian football, and while they may not have the star appeal of Matt Silva, Naqiuddin Eunos and Noh Alam Shah, if they are allowed to wear their hearts on their sleeves like their manager they may yet end up finding a home here. Just ask Shodai Nishikawa.
The same theme of underratedness can also be seen in how Balestier Khalsa and Hougang United went about their business in the off season. We can grumble all we like about their questionable approaches to recruitment, their lack of engagement on social media and having more unanswered questions than enlightened answers, but their disengagement in the rat race might have allowed them space to quietly craft responses to the aggressive recruitment drives of the other teams.
In the case of Balestier Khalsa, Marko Kraljevic’s recruitment from the Balkans might yet be a safe bet to match the European style on which we have set a high bar. Croatians Mario Subaric (a reserve at Bundesliga club Augsburg) and former youth international Tin Matic add key experience to complement Masahiro Sugita’s familiarity with how things work here. They might lean into a defensive style typical of these Balkan hardmen, which allows for a watertight approach to build attacks from the back.
With Abdil Qaiyyim and Madhu Mohana being the most senior players in the squad, and former Sailor Harith Kanadi being one for the future, all is not lost for the locals especially with the returns of Daniel Goh and subsequently Ignatius Ang giving back to Balestier in gratitude for developing them to the players they are today even in lean times.
Hougang’s disengagement with social media also bought them time to at least bed in the likes of Zharfan Rohaizad and Haiqal Pashia where their moves from the Sailors may have been seen as a step down for a few observers (ditto for Ryaan Sanizal in the case of him not returning to Tampines).
Ryohei Yoshihama (J2 experience with Machida Zelvia and Renofa Yamaguchi) looks like a sound buy in the engine room, while well travelled journeymen Victor Blasco and Sam Strong remain strong contenders in a squad still reeling from the departure of young prospects Iryan Fandi and Louka Tan (which means their attacking burden might fall squarely on an overworked Farhan Zulklifli)
But most importantly their recruitment from Thailand looks like a seriously good value series of deals. Chonlawit Kanuengkid comes as a former Thai FA Cup winner, and his leadership will be key to allowing ex-youth international Setthawut Wongsai and young prospect Yotsakorn Burapha to shine. Still only 20, Yotsakorn would find the change in scenery of Hougang as a good chance to re-establish his potential that saw him earn caps for the senior team in 2023, remaining a key player for the U23s in preparation for the SEA Games and fulfill some footballing diplomacy even as many of our players have headed to Thailand to raise their standards there.
Lastly, for the Young Lions, Harry Spence and Enrico Walmrath are familiar faces (from our U21 setup) in a sea of unknowns. Journeymen Brazilians aside, the local roster includes the Yazid brothers (Aidil and Aqil), Andrew Aw and the aforementioned Iryan Fandi and Louka Tan.
While their midfield still looks a tad suspect, Andrew does have continental experience with Tampines to back up the team, while Louka will be looking to fulfilling his potential as an attacker just like his sister Lila (aside from that salty ending with the WT) so that the Yazids and Iryan Fandi can safely bear the burden of their illustrious names and the need to be extraordinary superheroes in an ordinary team.
Joseph’s Prediction:
- LCS
- Tampines
- Geylang
- Albirex
5-8. Tanjong Pagar/Balestier/Young Lions/Hougang
Bryan
Once again it is that time of year, a new season, a new format, a new epoch for the Singapore Premier League. Football, as they say… is so back. After a long and arduous campaign last year our league is finally in sync with the rest of the footballing world. As we look ahead to the exciting matches, derbies, and continental nights to come, let us first take stock of what the last 5 years has delivered for football in Singapore.
What is clear to all, is that ever since the privatization of Home United and the birth of the Lion City Sailors in 2020, our beloved league has undergone tremendous change. The first and most obvious change in this “after privatization era” (hereinafter “AP Era” for short), has been the dramatic rise in the standard of football in the SPL. Putting aside the joy of watching top signings from around the world playing for SPL teams, unforgettable continental nights, and title runs that are the stuff of dreams, the quality of football in the SPL has undoubtedly improved. The AP era has also marked partnerships forged by teams like BG Tampines Rovers with BG Pathum in Thailand, and Geylang International with Manchester City’s City Football Group.
The increase in the number of foreign players in the SPL, from a per team quota of 2 to 4, 4 to 9, 9 to unlimited (as long as 4 Singaporean players are on the field for each team at any point of time), has seen not just more foreigners arrive in Singapore, but a wider variety of foreigners too. We are beginning to see not just over the hill marquee signings, but those in the prime of their careers, drawn by the Singapore football project, continental football, and of course, the lifestyle living on our tiny red dot affords them. Beyond that, we are beginning to see talented youth from around the world believing in the SPL as a good platform for them to launch their careers in players like Diogo Costa, who, after a wonder spell on loan, has inked a permanent 5 year deal with LCS. Furthermore, and more crucially, the levels of the local players have improved significantly. I am a big believer that you can only ever be as good as the people you play with, or against, and the more exposure our players get, if they are willing to learn, if they are consummate professionals who dedicate themselves to bettering their craft day after day, the better and better they can become. A good example of this is none other than Shawal Anuar, who despite his age, seems to be coming into his prime during the AP era, feeding off, and linking up with the foreign stars to produce some spectacular results.
More importantly, these changes bode well for the future of Singapore football, the improved facilities, and the focus on building serious academies has spread amongst all the SPL clubs during this AP era, and we are starting to see results, from LCS academies we are seeing players sold and transferred to top teams in Portugal, and we are seeing our boys (and girls) hold their own against teams from around the world. Locally, players like Nathan Mao, Joel Chew, the Mahler brothers, the Stewart brothers, the Fandi brothers, just to name a few, give us hope that the best days of Singapore lay ahead, and not behind us. These changes, coupled with our alignment with the global transfer windows, also gives the league an opportunity to become financially more robust. With the potential for selling our young talents abroad to maximise their exposure, as well as to attract young talent from around the world who may trade U21 football for a chance to start in a first team in a top flight league of a country, and perhaps even play continental games with a chance to be spotted by Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and even generational wealth offering middle eastern sides, coupled with Singapore’s reputation for safety, security, and speaking a language more commonly spoken by the footballing western world, we could see the beginnings of a viable farmers league, where our local clubs attract talent, and are able to sell them on for profit. This will naturally come with better footballing infrastructure all around, from the “soft” infrastructure, of the right strategies, coaching, agents, scouts, analysis, etc; to the “hard” infrastructure, in stadiums and training grounds, like the new stadiums in Punggol, Toa Payoh, and NS Square, and training grounds like that of LCS at Mattar road.
All in all, there is a lot to look forward to as we look back. While we look back on the past season as LCS fans with joy at the domestic treble and phenomenal continental run that unfortunately ended in heartbreak, we look ahead, hopeful, and excited at the prospect of better, and more exciting football to come. Furthermore, regardless of which team you support, we can all take heart that we seem to be building up Singapore football, the way a cathedral is built. Not from the top down, but from the bottom up, setting the right foundation, and believing in the vision of the project, as well as putting our best efforts and resources in collectively, will undoubtedly see good progress, even if we have to hire the odd foreign architect, or foreign craftsman to help us along the way. We as fans must vote with our feet, and our hearts, put our money where our mouth is, turn up for games, fill empty seats, and have faith. No cathedral was built overnight, just look to Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, which is still being built today, a century on. That said, we can all take heart at what all the teams in the SPL have achieved, and that it would be no understatement to say that never before in the history of Singapore football, has so much improvement, been achieved by so many, in so short a time.
As we look forward to the season ahead, let us be proud of how far the SPL has come, and let us stay excited for where it is yet to take us. Up the SPL, Up the Sailors.
Bryan’s Prediction:
- LCS
- Tampines
- Geylang
- Albirex
- Hougang
- Tanjong Pagar
- Balestier
- Young Lions
Reuben
Singapore’s diamond jubilee celebration last weekend was a spectacular reminder of our nation’s growth and its endless possibilities. For fans of the local football scene, it served as a splendid reminder that the celebrations were just about to begin, with the new SPL season kicking off one week from now with its traditional curtain raiser. The battle between two of the best from last season, Lion City Sailors and BG Tampines. With this clash in mind, lets look at my predictions for the new season:
Title Contenders
1. LCS
As the reigning, defending undisputed champions of the league, its barely a surprise that they will be hot favorites to retain the title. Not only have they retained key players like Bart, Lestienne and Diogo Costa, they have boosted their star-studded team with 4 blockbuster signings, whom are ready to take the league by storm. Hence, they are more than primed to remain the dominant team in this league.
2. BG Tampines
We can expect BG Tampines to be the main title rivals to LCS (AGAIN!) despite some changes in the summer. Their upcoming season promises to be a transformative one with fresh leadership (Akbar Nawas) and significant departures (Kunori, Kyoga and Enomoto). They would also be looking at reasserting on the regional stage after a not-so-impressive showing last season.
Middle-Pack & Surprise Challengers
3. Geylang
With continuity under Mohd Noor Ali, they loom as dark-horses for the top three finish. This would be their 30th straight season in the league. With key players Taniguchi and Bezecourt still with them, they’re shaping up as exciting dark-horses who could climb into the top three.
4. Albirex
Now a local entity, the previously dominant “foreign” force should have adjusted to new local regulations. They are still technically strong, though possibly slightly less dominant than before, they do remain contenders for strong performances.
The Rest (Respectfully)
5. Hougang United
My dark horse pick for the year. Now led by Robert Eziakor on a permanent basis, they have the potential to be highly motivated. With a complete rebuild in place with Zharfan Rohaizad between the sticks, expect the cheetahs to give the 4 teams above a run for their money.
6. Balestier
With new coach Marko Kraljević now at the helm, they could benefit or even struggle from renewed tactical approaches. With big hitters Kodai and Fukashiro departing, im not convinced that they will be able to outscore oppositions; given how weak their defensive capabilities have been.
7. Young Lions and 8. Tanjong Pagar
I expect the bottom 2 positions to be contested between these teams. Tasked with player development under new coach Firdaus Kassim, the young lions would probably with worrying less about results and more about grooming young talents. Similarly, with Nor Alam Shah as the permanent man at the helm, TPU’s results will be fully hinged on how quickly they can adapt to his ways as squad quality will be an issue. We can expect variable results from both teams, with both teams potentially trading places as the season progresses.
Well, at the end of this brief review, my mind has wandered and thought of a crazy scenario: No runaway leaders, no rock bottom teams, a four-horse race at the top AND a four-horse race at the bottom. Not that I wouldn’t mind our sailors romping to another league title in convincing fashion (so that I can continue to have THAT gold SPL badge on my sailors jersey ). All I can say is this new season is shaping up brilliantly and if there are 2 words that I would like to use to describe the new season ahead, its this:
They’ll remember who we are 😉
Cheers, Reuben
Reuben’s Prediction:
- LCS
- Tampines
- Geylang
- Albirex
- Hougang
- Balestier
- Young Lions
- Tanjong Pagar
Chin Heng
Sailors – Our 4 new signings appear to have given us sufficient quality and depth across every position to comfortably take the league. The only potential pitfall is that our exertions in the Shopee Cup and ACL2 could force us to rotate or play with tired legs in a few league games, and with such a short season, it may prove difficult to come back from a bad run of 2-3 results.
Albirex – Like most years, we know next to nothing about almost all of Albirex’s foreigners, which are mostly young Japanese players from Japanese youth/university teams, with a few young Koreans this season.
However, I believe the new foreigner rules, where there is essentially no cap on foreigners in the squad (I know, I know, technically the cap is 25) and up to 7 on the pitch, will allow Albirex to operate much closer to their pre-localisation model with a predominantly Japanese starting lineup. In case we forget, pre-localisation Albirex won 6 SPL titles in 8 years, and keeping in mind that top scorer Shingo Nakano has stayed on for another season, I feel Albirex has what it takes to beat Tampines to 2nd place.
Tampines – Tampines’ new additions feel solid but unspectacular – New forward Trent Buhagiar has scored less goals in his entire career than what Tomoyuki Doi scored in the 24/25 season, their new Japanese additions from J1/J2/J3 are also mostly unknown quantities other than Koya Kazama with an established track record in J2. New manager Akbar Nawas joins after a spell at Nakhom Pathom which saw the team get relegated from Thai League 1, and outgoing chairman Desmond Ong has also publicly acknowledged that Akbar Nawas has come in to oversee a transition season, and is not in the long term plans of Tampines Rovers.
The departures of Gavin and several key players from last season may well prove to be too big of a problem to overcome, and I suspect that Tampines will lose their grip on 2nd place.
Geylang – Similar to Tampines, Geylang will find themselves struggling with the departure of a key player. Tomoyuki Doi amassed a mind boggling 53 goal contributions in the SPL last season, enabling Geylang to become the highest scoring team in the league. Fortunately for Geylang, they have managed to hold on to most of their other players, allowing them to form a very familiar squad that is used to playing under Coach Noor Ali. However, with a significantly lower goal threat and the box-office duo of Shakir and Tajeli in defence, I foresee Geylang sliding slightly lower to a 4th placed finish this season.
Tanjong Pagar – The Jaguars seem to have brought in significantly stronger foreigner signings this season with a wealth of experience from leagues around Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and India. The team now has the 4th highest squad value in the SPL based on Transfermarkt, and new defender Aaron Evans also recently said in a podcast that Tanjong Pagar will be aiming for a top 2 finish.
While it’s good to aim for the stars, sometimes you just land in the Jurong East Stadium carpark, and I expect Tanjong Pagar to finish in 5th place due to the very weak local lineup.
Balestier – The departure of Peter De Roo was a big loss for the SPL, and the exciting attacking football of 2024/25 Balestier is giving way to Marko and the Balkans. While the Tigers have kept most of their local core of players as well as Masahiro Sugita, it remains to be seen if the new manager can successfully integrate the new European signings into a coherent squad that can execute his (significantly less exciting) style of football which is so different from what last season’s squad was used to. A Marko Kraljevic team has only finished in the top 4 of the SPL once in his managerial career, and I expect that trend to continue this season.
Young Lions – Everything we know about the Young Lions right now are based on rumours, as their social media account has been mostly inactive since the last season ended. If the rumours are true, we should see Young Lions gaining access to a larger pool of young local players (not just those serving their NS), as well as a handful of very young foreign signings. Will that be enough to lift them off the bottom of the table? Probably, but only because the next team is…
Hougang United – The club, very much like their social media page, appear to be in shambles. While there are no official announcements on their signings other than Zharfan, their rumoured squad contains a heavy Thai and Japanese presence in the foreign contingent, mostly signed from lesser neighbouring leagues. There are a few solid players headlining the local lineup, including Zharfan, Farhan Zulkifli, and Haiqal Pashia, but given the lack of quality in some other positions as well as a lack of depth in general, I expect Hougang United to finish at the bottom of the 2025/26 SPL.
Chin Heng’s Prediction:
- LCS
- Albirex
- Tampines
- Geylang
- Tanjong Pagar
- Balestier
- Young Lions
- Hougang
Conclusion
Phew! That turned out to be a pretty long one, and if you made it all the way here to the end, I hope you’ve had a taste of all our writers’ writing styles. I know that I’ll be looking forward to reading many more of their articles in the coming season.
That wraps up our SPL preview, with a number of (not really) wild predictions on what the final league table will look like. Perhaps we can revisit this at the end of the season to see how right/wrong we were, but meanwhile, head over to the SFT telegram chat to share your table predictions as well, and we’ll see you around at the stadium once the season starts!
Written by Chin Heng and the rest of Team SFT
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