Eagles to face must-win derby clash with the Stags

Geylang International head coach Noor Ali has told his players to stay hungry and aim high as they go head-to-head with Tampines Rovers in a much-anticipated Eastern Derby clash on Saturday with an AFC Cup spot at stake.

Trailing third-placed Tampines by seven points with four games remaining, a defeat is certainly not an option if the Eagles are to keep their pursuit of a top-three finish alive.

The last time Noor’s side were in action on Sept 9, they suffered their first defeat in five matches after squandering a two-goal cushion only to be beaten 4-2 by Hougang United.

However, Noor believes his team can swiftly regain the momentum if they can secure a crucial win against their arch-rivals.

For the record, Geylang had lost all their three matches to The Stags, with the last being a 4-1 defeat in August.

“It all boils down to how much desire the boys have, how much they want it (a top-three finish and to qualify for AFC Cup),” said Noor, who’s back in charge of the team training following a recent health scare.

“We have already done what we had to get ready tactically through our training sessions. We just have to prepare as well as we can for each match.

“As we enter this final stretch, basically we have also played all the teams three times already to date. Obviously, Tampines have been one tough nut to crack.

“They play good football and always try to keep possession. We also have to be mindful of Boris Kopitovic (current league top scorer with 29 goals) who’s scoring like nobody’s business.

“We need to make sure we play the game we have planned and get the important three points. If we can do that, it will be a huge lift to the team morale going into the last three games.”

Noor, who was hospitalised for heart palpitations two weeks ago, has confirmed that he will be present at Our Tampines Hub but is still undecided if he will take charge of the game.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to be on the bench or not, but I will attend the game for sure,” said Noor.

“It’s going to be my first game after what has happened, so I got to be very cautious with a lot of things I’m doing right now.

“It’s getting better, I’m just so glad to be just able to rejoin the boys for training.”

Noor admitted he feared his career was over when he was spending several days at the Changi General Hospital.

“When it first happened to me, I was a bit worried whether I’d be able to continue with my career,” he revealed.

“I have devoted all my life to football. The good thing is that at least it got detected early. God still loves me I guess.”  

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