Albirex Niigata FC (S) hosted Tanjong Pagar United FC on Sunday, November 23, in the third match of the Singapore Cup, facing them for the first time this season.

From the opening minutes, Albirex held possession and controlled the game. In the 5th minute, Alaba broke down the right side after reacting to a long ball from Kim Taeuk and delivered a cross to Shingo Nakano, but his shot went straight to the goalkeeper.



In the 14th minute, Albirex created another chance by applying aggressive pressure in the attacking third. In the 28th minute, Nakano latched onto a through ball from Naoki Yoshioka, but his shot did not connect cleanly and failed to find the target.

In the 32nd minute, Haziq once again burst down the right flank with speed and took a shot himself, but it went over the crossbar. Albirex continued to attack the space behind the opposing left-back and created multiple chances, but the opening goal remained elusive.



In the 44th minute, after a wide pass from Jayden Heng, Haziq sent in an early cross toward Nakano, who made a diving attempt, but could not convert. In first-half additional time, Nakano met a pass from Takumi Yokohata with a header, but it narrowly missed the target. The first half ended 0-0.



Just after the second half began, Albirex faced a dangerous moment from the opponent’s long ball, but avoided conceding as it did not result in a clear chance.

Then in the 53rd minute, Haziq drove forward sharply from the right and was fouled just outside the penalty area, winning a free-kick. From this perfect position, Katsuyuki Ishibashi struck a brilliant shot into the corner, giving Albirex the long-awaited opening goal.



In the 57th minute, the opponent momentarily put the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed after VAR confirmed a foul in the buildup. After avoiding the danger of conceding, Albirex regained momentum and managed the game efficiently through substitutions.

In second-half additional time, substitute Cho Eunsu intercepted a pass and carried the ball forward to take a shot, but the goalkeeper denied him, preventing an additional goal. The match remained tense until the very end.

In the 90+8th minute, Albirex faced their biggest scare of the match when a long throw-in led to a scramble in front of goal and the ball almost being tapped into an empty net. However, Komei Iida threw his body in the way to make a heroic block, producing a match-saving clearance.

Albirex maintained their focus until the final whistle and secured a 1-0 victory, taking a major step toward reaching the Singapore Cup final tournament.

【Next Match Information】
Singapore Cup 2025/26 Round 4
November 29 (Sat) 19:30 vs Hougang United FC
@Our Tampines Hub (Away)