2010 winners BG Pathum to add Thai spice to Singapore Cup
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BG Pathum's director of football Surachai Jaturapattarapong (in pink) had played in Singapore for many years.
PHOTO: BG PATHUM/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – They have not featured in the Singapore Cup since they became the first foreign team to win the tournament in 2010, but Thailand’s BG Pathum United will be back for the 2024-25 edition.
In a draw for the competition at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Jan 6, the Rabbits were pooled into Group B alongside defending champions Lion City Sailors, Geylang International, Balestier Khalsa and Tanjong Pagar United. They will kick off their campaign against the Jaguars at the Jurong East Stadium on Feb 2.
Since 2005, foreign teams that are not part of the Singapore Premier League (then known as S-League) have been invited to play in the Singapore Cup. However, from 2018 to 2023, only SPL clubs took part in the competition.
Looking forward to his team’s participation, BG Sports’ international project director Philip Tan said: “Our fans have good memories of the Singapore Cup, and we are honoured to be invited to compete in Singapore.”
Pathum have a strong Singapore connection. Their director of football Surachai Jaturapattarapong, who is taking the reins of the first team, played in Singapore for Gombak United from 1998 to 2002, before joining Home United, where he won the S-League (2003) and Singapore Cup (2003, 2005).
Their head of youth is former Singapore international Kadir Yahaya. Lions forwards Ikhsan and Ilhan Fandi are also with their first team, who also boast Thai stars Chanathip Songkrasin and Teerasil Dangda. But it is not known if they will be in the Singapore Cup squad.
BG Sports has been closely linked with Singapore football in recent years, signing a memorandum of understanding with local sports agency Sport Singapore and the Football Association of Singapore to facilitate playing and coaching partnerships in 2024.
In 2023, BG Sports also inked a three-year collaboration with Tampines Rovers that resulted in their initials being added to the eastern club’s name.
The Singapore Cup will be the fifth competition for the Rabbits, on top of their local league, two domestic cups and the Asean Club Championship.
Similarly, the Sailors are plotting their cup defence with confidence despite having to juggle four tournaments, including the Asian Champions League (ACL) Two. They will start their Singapore Cup campaign on Feb 16 against Tanjong Pagar at the Bishan Stadium.
Calling last season’s triumph a significant step forward for the club, Sailors skipper Hariss Harun said their goal is to retain the title.
“It won’t be straightforward, with plenty of matches on both the domestic and continental fronts ahead,” said the 34-year-old.
“But we’re ready for the challenge, and we want to give our fans plenty of moments to celebrate by the end of the season.”
Over in Group A, 2023 finalists Hougang United were drawn with Albirex, Tampines, Brunei DPMM and Young Lions.
Hougang will kick off the tournament against Albirex at the Jurong East Stadium on Feb 1, while Tampines play DPMM at Jalan Besar Stadium on the same day.
While the Cheetahs are currently seventh in the nine-team SPL, they are eyeing another deep run in the Singapore Cup, having won it in 2022 for their first piece of major silverware, as the winners will also secure an ACL Two qualifying play-off spot.
In an attempt to shore up their defence, Hougang’s interim head coach Robert Eziakor has released underperforming imports – forward Petar Banovic, and defenders Faris Hasic and Ensar Bruncevic – and signed a pair of towering centre-backs in 1.93m Brazilian Daniel Alemao and 1.92m Montenegrin Jovan Mugosa, as well as local defender Tajeli Salamat.
He said: “It’s going to be exciting because most teams have strengthened their squads during this break. There are no pushover teams.
“This competition is of utmost importance to us and we want to compete and do well in every game to go far in the tournament.”
The round-robin group stage will run until March 30, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the two-legged semi-finals on April 22 and May 6. The final is scheduled for May 31.
All Singapore Cup matches will be broadcast live on StarHub TV, Singtel TV and the SPL’s official YouTube page.
David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.
