Noor demands strong reaction as Eagles take on league leaders

Geylang International Head Coach Noor Ali has demanded a strong reaction from his charges as they take on Albirex Niigata in an away fixture at Jurong East Stadium on Saturday.

The Eagles were stunned by a stoppage-time winner by the Young Lions a fortnight ago and Noor expects a quick bounce back to restore that badly needed pride as they reach the tail end of the season.

The Eagles have suffered three defeats in their last five games and are currently in sixth place in the league table. With four games remaining in the Singapore Premier League, Noor is also determined to restore the fans’ faith with a brand of football they have come to expect.

“The boys were definitely very disappointed after our loss against Young Lions. We were really hurt by that performance, but we have moved on and our next game against Albirex will be perfect to issue our response.

“We’ve got to show up again and get our fans to back us up as their support has been very valuable to us all season,” said Noor.

The Eagles have a lethal attacking duo in Amy Recha and Matheus Moresche. Both players are the highest scorers with 10 goals each.  Amy is the first Geylang International player to reach double digits since Shawal Anuar did in 2017 and is also the first local player to reach 10 goals in a season since Hazzuwan Halim and Faris Ramli netted 10 and 16 respectively in 2019.

The White Swans will not be an easy pushover. Tanjong Pagar United are the only team who has taken all three points against the league leader this season. Since that upset in June, Albirex Niigata has won three straight matches and are sitting atop the table with a five-point lead over their closest rival, Lion City Sailors, who has a game in hand.

“There are no easy games in our last four games. And this match against the league leaders will be one of them. However, if we can play to our full potential, you never know. This is football, anything can happen,” said Noor.

Ends.