‘El Matador’ Youssef Ezzejjari aims to take the bull by the horns and lift Tanjong Pagar United

SINGAPORE – The 2024-25 season was one to forget for Tanjong Pagar United, who found themselves rooted to the bottom of the Singapore Premier League table with just 35 goals scored – the lowest among the nine teams.

Determined to fix their scoring woes, the Jaguars have turned to Spanish striker Youssef Ezzejjari, hoping his proven eye for goal would bring them some much-needed bite in attack.

The 32-year-old, who joined from Indonesian side Barito Putera this 2025-26 season, comes with impressive credentials.

Originally from Catalonia, he has built a reputation as a prolific marksman.

He was the Andorran top flight’s leading scorer with 19 goals for Esportiu Carroi in 2020-21, before netting 18 times in 32 matches during his debut Liga 1 campaign with Persik Kediri. He continued that form with Visakha FC in Cambodia's Premier League in 2023-24, scoring 10 times in 11 games.

He has wasted little time finding his feet in Singapore. Three weeks ago, he opened his SPL account, scoring four times in a 5-1 win over the Young Lions – Tanjong Pagar’s first victory in three games this season.

Reflecting on that “amazing night”, he said: “This is my job – score goals, assist, but most important is give three points to the team.”

Nicknamed “El Matador” for his clinical finishing under pressure, the Spaniard’s arrival could address one of the Jaguars’ biggest weaknesses from the 2024-25 season.

Finding the net is key if they are to reach targets set by coach Noh Alam Shah.

The ex-Lion said: “We want to try as high as possible, even competing for a top-two spot would be something ideal for us. When we put the benchmark as high as possible, the lowest you can go is third or fourth, right?”

The win over the Young Lions was also crucial in restoring belief after defeats by BG Tampines Rovers (3-0) and the Lion City Sailors (7-0) in their first two games of the season.

Geylang International, their next opponents as they resume their domestic campaign at Our Tampines Hub on Oct 18, will do well to keep a close eye on Ezzejjari.

Despite receiving other regional offers, Ezzejjari said he was convinced to move to Singapore after a Zoom meeting with Alam Shah.

Following his formative years in Spain, his globetrotting journey began in 2013 with England’s Nike Academy, a professional training programme for unsigned Under-20 players.

After being the top-scorer in Andorra’s top tier, he went on to play for eight other clubs from Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and now Singapore.

While being constantly on the move may mean having to adapt to new cultures and environments, it is something that Ezzejjari enjoys.

He said: “I enjoy new cultures, new leagues, new teams, new countries, I really enjoy learning about new cultures. This is something that is easy for me to adapt to – different situations, languages, teams and countries.

“Now I have more experience. Day by day, with training, all the experience I got, last season I got to play AFC (Challenge League) games in Taiwan, in Cambodia, I always try to improve myself to get better, this is the best for me.”

While Geylang coach Noor Ali is happy with the four points (W1 D1 L1) they have earned after three games, he also stressed that he is not satisfied with how the fourth-placed Eagles are playing.

He said: “Everyone knows that last year, Geylang were a high-scoring team but we didn’t have many clean sheets.

“This time, we’ve started the season with two clean sheets but in terms of possession and some moments in the game... It’s something we’ve been working on, but it’ll take more games to get a better understanding of that.”

Hougang United v Albirex Niigata (Oct 17, 7.30pm, Jurong East Stadium)

Albirex, who have a draw and a win from their opening two games of the season, will aim to keep their unbeaten run going, while sixth-placed Hougang will be looking for back-to-back wins after earning their first victory of the season by beating the Young Lions on Oct 2.

Lion City Sailors v Young Lions (Oct 18, 7.30pm, Bishan Stadium)

The only team left with a perfect record after three matches, the SPL defending champions will be looking to extend the streak against bottom side Young Lions, who have lost all three of their games this season, conceding nine goals in the process.

BG Tampines Rovers v Balestier Khalsa (Oct 19, 7.30pm, Our Tampines Hub)

Since Noh Rahman took over as coach, Tampines have won three out of four games in all competitions, which includes AFC Champions League Two victories over Philippine outfit Kaya FC-Iloilo and Thailand’s BG Pathum United. The Stags will be looking to carry that momentum back into domestic action when they face fifth-placed Balestier Khalsa.