Tampines Rovers sealed their place in the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 Round of 16 in emphatic fashion, outgunning Kaya FC-Iloilo 5–3 in a pulsating Group H showdown at Bishan Stadium, Bishan.
The hosts needed only seven minutes to settle the nerves. A disastrous back pass from Kohya Kazama gifted Trent Buhagiar possession, and instead of going for glory, the Australian winger unselfishly squared the ball to Hide Higashikawa. The Japanese forward coolly sidestepped Marco Casambre and goalkeeper Alfredo Cortez before rolling the ball home.
Buhagiar nearly turned provider again moments later, but Shah Shahiran’s first-time effort lacked the power to beat Cortez.
Kaya threatened briefly on the half-hour mark when Jesus Melliza forced Syazwan Buhari into a sharp save after Higashikawa nearly headed into his own net. But Tampines quickly regained momentum.
Cortez stood tall to deny Kazama’s initial shot in the 36th minute—only for Takeshi Yoshimoto to pick up the rebound, weave past two defenders, and blast low into the bottom corner for 2–0.
Before halftime, Cortez pulled off two brilliant saves to keep Kaya afloat, denying Glenn Kweh and Kazama in quick succession.
Two minutes after the restart, Cortez again denied Higashikawa, but this time Buhagiar smashed home the rebound to make it 3–0.
Higashikawa secured his brace shortly after—rising at the far post to head in Kazama’s beautifully clipped cross for 4–0.
Mike Ott ignited a mini comeback in the 67th minute with a towering header into the bottom corner. Substitute Paolo Bugas made it 4–2 just moments after coming on, pouncing on Syazwan’s parry to fire home from close range.
The visitors grabbed a third when Amirul Adli inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 85th minute—suddenly, it was game on.
But before Kaya could dream of a dramatic equaliser, Faris Ramli struck. Just a minute after the own goal, the winger slipped in from the left and swept the ball past Cortez to seal the 5–3 victory.
The Stags, driven by a sensational attacking display, climbed to 13 points—three clear of FC Pohang Steelers—to secure qualification with one match to spare. Kaya, meanwhile, suffered their fifth straight defeat.
Tampines Rovers now head into their group finale against Thailand’s BG Pathum United with qualification secured. Kaya FC-Iloilo will face FC Pohang Steelers as they conclude their campaign.
Credit Photo : AFC
