Buriram United give BG Tampines Rovers a reality check in Asean Club Championship

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s remaining representatives in continental competition, BG Tampines Rovers have flown the flag for local football with distinction in the 2025-26 season.

The Stags have progressed into the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) and, heading into match day four of the Asean Club Championship (ACC), sat atop Group A as early pacesetters.

But on Jan 28 at the Jalan Besar Stadium, in front of fervent support from home fans, Thai giants Buriram United delivered a sobering reminder that a gap still exists between the Singaporean side and the region’s elite.

In the ACC Group A clash, defending champions Buriram put the hosts to the sword with an emphatic 4-1 victory.

Stags coach Noh Rahman took some positives from the heavy loss, noting that matches such as these can only help his team.

He said: “The more we play in these kinds of games, which are of higher intensity than what we normally experience, the better we can get. We must adapt to the level.

“In my half-time talk, I told the team that I thought we gave them more respect than we should. We have shown in the ACL2 this season that we can compete well and get good results.”

He added: “In terms of individual quality, these teams have got that. Collectively, I thought we controlled the game in the first half. The challenge is to maintain that in the second half of matches.”

The Stags started the season with a desire to compete on four fronts – the Singapore Premier League, Singapore Cup, the ACC (also known as the Shopee Cup) and the ACL2. It was an unfamiliar but welcome territory for a club whose last major triumph was the 2019 Singapore Cup victory.

They were buoyed after going through the ACL2 group stage unbeaten, which included a shock win over South Korean side Pohang Steelers, setting up a two-legged last-16 clash with Cong An Ha Noi of Vietnam in February.

They are also still in contention in the league as the Stags, with a game in hand, are seven points behind leaders Lion City Sailors.

But they suffered a reversal of fortunes in January during

a 2-0 loss to the Sailors in the Singapore Cup final

. The Sailors were later awarded a 3-0 win as Tampines failed to maintain the minimum four Singaporean players on the pitch during a substitution gaffe.

The Stags’ ACC campaign also got off to a strong start with two wins and a loss.

Coming into the Jan 28 fixture, Tampines were hoping to secure a win and book a place in the knockout stage should other results in Group A fall in their favour.

However, from the opening whistle, the visitors showed exactly why they belong in the Asian Champions League Elite.

Sitting comfortably atop Thai League 1 with a 12-point cushion, Buriram asserted their authority early, dominating possession and dictating the tempo of the match against the game but futile efforts of the hosts.

Thai national winger Suphanat Mueanta broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when his shot from just outside the box took a deflection off Tampines defender Dylan Fox and looped over goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari and into goal.

Buriram then doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Theerathon Bunmathan’s cross from the left flank found unmarked Brazilian forward Guilherme Bissoli, who had the simplest of tasks to tap in from just in front of goal.

Bissoli notched his second goal from the spot in the 70th minute after Shuya Yamashita was penalised for a foul in the box on Buriram captain Kenneth Dougall.

In the 88th minute, Serbian midfielder Goran Causic found space in the box to power home a header from a Peter Zulj cross before substitute Taufik Suparno struck a consolation goal for Tampines in stoppage time.

The result saw Tampines slip to fourth in the six-team group, two points behind leaders Selangor of Malaysia, who have eight points after beating Cong An Ha Noi 2-0.

BG Pathum United are on seven points following a 2-0 win over Cebu FC of the Philippines while Buriram are ahead of the Stags on head-to-head record.

The Stags will need a win in their final group match against Ha Noi on Feb 4 in Vietnam to have any chance of finishing among the top two and qualifying for the semi-finals.

Buriram coach Mark Jackson said he was delighted for the team to have secured their first win of the ACC campaign after three successive draws.

The Englishman added that there was more to come from his side.

He said: “We’re working hard to be better but ultimately, delighted for the three points that was our objective, and the players worked hard in difficult conditions.”

Singapore’s other representatives in the ACC, the Sailors, travel to Group B leaders Nam Dinh of Vietnam on Jan 29 seeking to add to their four points.