Tampines Rovers FC won the 2019 Komoco Motors Singapore Cup on Saturday night after defeating Warriors FC 4-3 in a thrilling final at Jalan Besar Stadium.
There were goals galore as four different players from Tampines got on the scoresheet, including a beautiful long-range finish from Joel Chew in the 31st minute. The other Tampines scorers were Irwan Shah, Amirul Adli and Zehrudin Mehmedovic. Although a Khairul Nizam double in the first half and an 86th-minute Fairoz Hasan goal gave Warriors hope, Tampines ultimately proved too strong for them.
Tampines first-team coach Gavin Lee acknowledged his players’ effort after the exciting final, saying, “We knew before the game that Warriors had really capable players up front who could cause us problems, but it is our ability to stay calm and composed that made the difference, so kudos to the boys. This win is all about the club; it is a team effort and that will always be the case in football. Overall, I am really heartened by the team’s performance as their progress over the season has been really satisfying to see.”
This marked the fourth time that Tampines have won this tournament, having also emerged victorious in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Their win also means that Hougang United FC will earn a spot in the 2020 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, with Tampines having already sealed their berth after finishing second in the AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL) in September this year.
In the third-placing match, Geylang International FC faced Brunei DPMM FC in a high-octane match that ended 2-2 at full time, with Azwan Saleh and Charlie Clough supplying the goals for DPMM while Ifwat Ismail and Fareez Farhan got on the scoresheet for Geylang.
A dramatic penalty shootout saw Geylang trump DPMM in sudden death with a final score of 12-11; goalkeeper Zainol Gulam produced a great winning save against DPMM forward Andrei Varankou.
Varankou finished as the tournament’s joint-top scorer alongside Warriors pair Sahil Suhaimi and Khairul Nizam, having each scored four goals.
Tampines were presented with the Singapore Cup trophy by Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president, Mr Lim Kia Tong and Komoco Motors Commercial Director Mr Ng Choon Wee. The duo also presented Warriors with their medals, while FAS General Secretary Mr Yazeen Buhari presented the prizes to Geylang and DPMM. For their efforts, Tampines took home prize money of $70,000, while Warriors got $45,000. Geylang and DPMM received $25,000 and $10,000 respectively.
This marks the end of the domestic football season, which saw DPMM win the SPL in September. The 2020 SPL season is set to commence in February.
2019 Komoco Motors Singapore Cup final day match details
Third-placing match
Geylang International FC 2-2 Brunei DPMM FC
Ifwat Ismail 75’, Fareez Farhan pen. 86’ | Azwan Saleh 19’, Charlie Clough 90+6’
Geylang win 12-11 on penalties
*match went directly to penalty shootout after 90 minutes
Final
Tampines Rovers FC 4-3 Warriors FC
Irwan Shah 17‘, Joel Chew 31’, Amirul Adli 57’, Zehrudin Mehmedovic 66’ | Khairul Nizam 13’, 20’, Fairoz Hasan 85’
