Geylang International Football Club is a professional football club based in Bedok, Singapore, that competes in Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club was founded in 1973. They played their first league game in 1974, winning the FAS Division Three League which earned them a spot in National Football League Division One the following year. Their most successful period was during the 1980s and 90s, winning six consecutive FAS Premier League titles.
Geylang International has won 2 league titles and 1 Singapore Cup since the inception of a professional league in 1996. Their greatest season was in 1996, when they became the first team to win both the league title and the FA Cup. They also reached the 1997 Singapore FA Cup final, 2001 and 2003 Singapore Cup finals, and the 2012 Singapore League Cup final, finishing as runners-up.
Geylang International has a traditional rivalry with closest neighbour Tampines Rovers. Matches between these two are referred to as the "Eastern Derby" which is known to be one of the best rivalries in Singapore football.
Contents
History
Beginnings and breakthrough (1973–1995)
Formally founded by Colin Ng in 1973 during a dinner gathering with Arshad Khamis, Gulam Mohamed and Omar Ashiblie, Ng planned to build a successful club in Singapore. They were soon known as International Contract Specialists Football Club (ICS) and played their first friendly match against Rollel, a Singapore Business Houses Football League (SBHFL) Division One league club on 15 November 1973 with a 2–0 win.
They made their season debut in 1974, walking away with 2 titles – FAS Division Three League & President's Cup with no losses. They had several top players including Arshad Khamis, Dollah Kassim, Gulam Mohamed, Samad Allapitchay, Kamal Mohd Nor and Robert Sim.
For the 1975 season, in line with the plans of the Football Association of Singapore to streamline the FAS League and have teams based on geographical identity for the new National Football League, ICS changed its name to Geylang Internationals, as their home ground was based at Geylang Field, Lorong 12. They were placed in Division One and won it that year, adding another title in 1976. Their back to back victories was made sweeter by winning the 1976 President's Cup.
A relegation in 1981 prompted the arrival of a new management committee that guided the club back to the top division in 1983. In 1984, club president Kasim Chik financed the club and businessman Patrick Ang, who joined in 1986, managed to secure sponsors for them. Despite being relegated that year, they returned to Division 1 of the National Football League the following season.
In 1988, the FAS started a semi-professional league competition called the FAS Premier League as the top tier of the Singapore football league structure. The club's name had remained unchanged until 1987.. Before the start of the FA Premier League, the "s" was dropped and the name became Geylang International.
Geylang International dominated all eight years of the FAS Premier League, winning six consecutive titles from 1988 to 1993 before finishing third in 1994 and second in 1995. Every game would see their home ground packed to the brim as fans clamoured to catch a game of the Eagles’ skilful players. Subsequently, due to the huge fan following which numbered in the thousands, all their games had to be played either in Jalan Besar Stadium or National Stadium.
Progressive and golden era (1996–2012)
When the FAS formed the fully professional S. League in 1996, Geylang International changed their name to Geylang United Football Club. They were one of the eight teams in the inaugural season of the S.League in 1996. They won the first stage (the Tiger Beer Series) of the league season and finished fifth in the second stage (the Pioneer Series). They won the league after defeating SAFFC (the Pioneer Series champions) 2–1 in the Championship Play-off. They completed the season with another trophy, beating the same team on penalties, 4–2, in the Singapore FA Cup. As the team was full of international stars, led by 1998 Iranian World Cup head coach Jalal Talebi, players such as Fandi Ahmad, Kadir Yahaya, David Lee, Hamid Reza Estili, Mohammad Khakpour, and Chris Riley, Vincent Subramaniam (Head Coach for SAFFC) identified them as the Manchester United of Singapore. As league champions, they qualified for the 1997–98 Asian Club Championship but were eliminated after losing 8–2 on aggregate by Japanese side Kashima Antlers in the first round.
The 1997 season was a disappointing season for them. They failed to defend the S.League title, finishing fifth. The Eagles also failed to defend the FA Cup, after losing to SAFFC in the finals. They did not win any silverware till 2001, when they won their second league title by a close margin. Both forwards, Aleksandar Đurić and Brian Bothwell scored 57 goals for the team. It was the best performing S.League season for the team; scoring 84 goals and conceding 28 goals. Just days after winning the league title, they suffered their worst defeat in history; losing 8–0 to Home United in the Singapore Cup finals. As league champions, they were guaranteed a slot in the qualifying round of the 2002–03 AFC Champions League but were eliminated after losing to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua 5–1 on aggregate in the second round.
The 2002 season saw Geylang United finish third in both the S.League and Singapore Cup. They came close to winning their third S.League title and first Singapore Cup in 2003, only to finish runners-up to Home United for both competitions. As runners-up, they qualified to play in the AFC Cup 2004 due to Home United's double. Their debut in the AFC Cup 2004 was an impressive one. Despite losing their opening match, they managed to stay unbeaten for their next five games in the group stage. They went on to qualify for the quarter-finals, beating Malaysian club Perak FA before losing to Syrian side Al-Wahda in the semi-final.
Geylang United won their first Singapore Cup in 2009, beating Thailand side Bangkok Glass 1–0 at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The win ensured them a place in the 2010 AFC Cup where they were placed in Group H alongside Vietnam SHB Da Nang, Thailand club Port and Hong Kong side Tai Po. However, they failed to qualify for the knockout stages, finishing 3rd in the group stages with four draws and two losses.
Decline in performances (2013–2016)
On 4 January 2013, the club announced in a pre-season press conference that it would change its club logo and name back to Geylang International Football Club. The club has set on a vision statement, playing philosophy and values like discipline and commitment to a six-week training routine planned for the players to follow meanwhile on the community outreach side, there will be a new partnership with Singapore Management University [SMU] Mentorship Programme which includes opportunities to interact with the club players. A vision statement, playing philosophy and values like discipline and commitment have also been clearly set out, and a six-week training routine planned for the players to follow. They started off the season playing against Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim, ATM FA and Selangor losing 1–0, 2–1 and drawing 0–0 respectively. The Eagles then signed three Japanese trios, Takuma Ito, Norihiro Kawakami and Shotaro Ihata however the squad saw plenty of long-term injury crises, forcing their then-assistant coach, former Singapore international,Mohd Noor Ali to come out of retirement. They finished the season in 9th place. On 19 August 2013, they faced the Hong Kong club, Sun Source winning the match 5–0 at the Bedok Stadium.
The 2014 season was something to look out for as Vedhamuthu Kanan flew to Argentina during the pre-season to look for new foreign players. It was later announced that Leonel Felice, Franco Chivilo and Joaquin Lopez had signed a 1-year contract. In addition, Nazareno Velez joined in as assistant coach. The Eagles started off their 2014 pre season friendlies participating in the IFA Shield 2014 in India playing against Kingfisher East Bengal, United Sports Club and Korean Sun Moon University at the Salt Lake Stadium. However, the season did not start well as one of the Argentinian players failed to get their employment pass before the season kicked off. V. Kanan eventually got demoted back to coaching the U-21 team after 3 straight losses. German Jörg Steinebrunner was then appointed as the new head coach 24 hours before their next match. Despite their poor league performance, Steinebrunner almost led the team to the finals of the League Cup and Singapore Cup; only to lose both domestic competitions on penalty shoot-outs. The team ended the 2014 season in eighth place.
In 2015, Steinebrunner took this opportunity to get his players ahead of the new season. The Eagles participated in the 2015 Kata Group Hotel Challenge Cup tournament in Thailand facing Phuket winning 1–3 in the 1st leg and 2–1 in the 2nd leg. They then fly off to Indonesia to face Semen Padang and Felda United of Malaysia in a friendly match. The Eagles were inconsistent throughout the season, failing to win most of their matches. After their defeat in the semi-finals of the League Cup, they failed to collect any points for six consecutive games, remaining rooted to the bottom of the table for months. An unbeaten run in their last five matches with 3 wins and 2 draws allowed them to finish one place off the bottom.
2017–present
In June 2017, Mohd Noor Ali took over as head coach of Geylang International, managing the team he had won the 2001 S league with as a player. The Eagles played their pre season friendlies against Malaysian club, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Melaka United, and Petaling Jaya Rangers before returning home to face Philippines club, Ceres–Negros and Australian club, Rydalmere Lions winning 3–1 in the process at the Bedok Stadium. The Eagles improved on their previous position and attained 4th position in the 2017 S league. It was Geylang International's first top four finish in 14 years
In 2018, Mohd Noor Ali went abroad for a 1-year coaching stint with Japanese club Matsumoto Yamaga (as part of Geylang International's collaboration with their sponsor Epson). Noor Ali's venture abroad meant Hirotaka Usui took charge of The Eagles for the inaugural 2018 Singapore Premier League. Geylang International finished in a disappointing 8th position that season.
In 2019, Mohd Noor Ali returned to Geylang International after guiding Yamaga's “B” team to a league title. The Eagles welcomed new players like former Dutch U-20 Barry Maguire, and retained a strong youthful core in Darren Teh and Zikos Chua, and Azril Suhaili. Zikos Chua scored vital late goals during the season, as the Eagles finished 5th place in the 2019 Singapore Premier League. That season, The Eagles also knocked out defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) en route to finishing 3rd in the 2019 Singapore Cup. The Eagles beat the 2019 Singapore Premier League champions, Brunei DPMM, in the 3rd/4th placing match 12–11 on penalties, after the match ended 2–2.
After beating title favourites Lion City Sailors 1–0 in their opening game of 2022, Geylang went on an 11-game winless run despite putting in commendable performances. The newly revamped Geylang squad for 2022, consisting of a new group of foreign players - Vincent Bezecourt, Šime Žužul, Rio Sakuma, Takahiro Tezuka had to find a way to get back to winning ways. When Round 2 and 3 of the 2022 Singapore Premier League came around, Geylang International picked up form, picking up 5 wins in 6 games. By beating the Lion City Sailors 3–1 in the final round of matches (Round 4), and ending the season with a 1–1 draw with eventual champions Albirex Niigata (S), Geylang International finished the season 4th, matching their 4th-place finish in 2020. As a result, the Eagles secured the second and final AFC Cup berth.
Team image
Supporters
Supporters are known as the Ultras Eagles. Typically dressed in black and green, they are known for their use of drums and vocal support, contributing to a distinctive matchday atmosphere. The supporters have developed a close relationship with the team, which is reflected in post-match traditions. Following each game, regardless of the result, the Ultras, players, and coaching staff participate together in a shared song.
Official anthem
Geylang International Football Club's Official Anthem, "We Are The Mighty Eagles" was launched on 22 February 2022. The anthem is played at all home matches, before kick-off, at half-time, and whenever the Eagles score a goal. The anthem is composed by Evil Singing Pandas, a band from Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand.
The anthem is also being used in various videos promoting the club, including a behind the scenes pre-season photoshoot and tribute clip to the main sponsor Epson in 2022.
Stadiums
Bedok Stadium
The Eagles’ home ground is the Bedok Stadium, located in the eastern part of Singapore. It is used both for football matches and community events. Besides that, the pitch is also used by the club for their training sessions. The stadium has a natural grass football pitch, an 8-lane running track and some athletic facilities. The stadiums are closed to the public during official events and S.League matches. The stadium can hold up to 3,800 spectators. The stadium is currently managed by the Singapore Sports Council.
Our Tampines Hub
The Eagles’ home ground moved to Our Tampines Hub for the 2019 Singapore Premier League season, which they share with Tampines Rovers.
Geylang International players train at the Geylang Training Centre in which is mainly used by the Singapore national team.
Affiliated clubs
Matsumoto Yamaga (2016–present)
On 23 November, 2016, Geylang International and Matsumoto Yamaga signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a press event that was held earlier today at the Marina Bay Floating Platform. This MOU will enable both clubs to establish a platform to exchange expertise and knowledge with the objective of promoting cohesion and development of football between the two clubs. The MOU spells out possible areas of collaboration such as the exchange of players and technical staff for training attachments and loans. Geylang will be looking to select promising players from its Active SG-GIFC Soccer Academy and junior teams to send on short training stints with Matsumoto Yamaga while the Japanese club is also looking into the possibility of sending players from their junior team to Singapore for pre-season training stints. Among the key initiatives of the partnership with Matsumoto Yamaga is the exchange program for head coach, Mohd Noor Ali, who had a one-year attachment with the Japanese side in 2018, where he guided their B team to the Japan FA's Under-18 Football League Nagano prefecture title on 17 August 2018, Anders Aplin become the first Singaporean football player to sign for a J.League team signing on loan until the end of the 2018 J2 League season in November.
On 30 October 2022, both clubs reaffirmed their close and long-standing relationship as the club officials went to Japan to explore future collaborations going into the seventh year of partnership since 2016. Geylang International has a memorandum of understanding with J.League outfits, Matsumoto Yamaga that was signed in 2016, while Epson's relationship with the club also dates back to the same year when it became the club's platinum sponsor. In the past seven years, Epson has enjoyed premium hospitality access to the club's home matches and has also supported the local football community and youths with the staging of the Epson Youth Cup.
Ho Chi Minh City (2019–present)
Geylang International and V.League, Ho Chi Minh City has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to further the growth of football through the open sharing of technical expertise and knowledge between both clubs. Under this MOU, cooperative efforts between both clubs will be boosted in four key sectors; training, attachments, player transfers, and fan club support. It will also allow the two clubs to send their youth and senior squad to train or participate in short-term tournaments within each other's regions. The agreement will also ensure the priority of players’ transfer for both clubs as well as facilitate the exchange of players and technical staff for training attachments. Additionally, both parties will strive to increase each other's club profile in their regions and encourage cultural exchanges and interactions between their fan clubs. This includes providing support, privileges, and on-site concierge services for official club tours, visits, or match attendances requested by each other's fan clubs through their respective clubs.
Players
As of 15 September 2026
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve League (SPL2) squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Players on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Management and staff
In February 2020, Thomas Gay, co-founder and deputy chairman of Goodrich Global Pte Ltd, and the club's vice-chairman for the last two years, took over from Ben Teng as the chairman of Geylang International. Ben Teng remained as the Eagles' club adviser and continues to oversee their strategic direction, specifically in the building of alliances with overseas clubs.
Thomas Gay was appointed chairman of Geylang International in February 2020, succeeding Ben Teng. Prior to his appointment, Gay had served as the club's vice-chairman for two years. He was also the co-founder and deputy chairman of Goodrich Global, and brought his business experience into the club's management. During his tenure, Geylang continued to develop its commercial and sporting partnerships, including its relationship with Epson and a partnership with fitness and wellness group True Group. The club also maintained a focus on youth and player development, while competing consistently in the Singapore Premier League. Geylang finished fourth in the 2020 season, sixth in 2021, fifth in 2022 and fifth in 2023, before finishing third in the 2024–25 season. Gay remained chairman through the club's 50th anniversary celebrations in November 2024 and the 2025–26 season, before being succeeded by Desmond Gay in 2026.
Desmond Gay succeeded Thomas Gay as chairman of Geylang International in 2026, having previously served as the club's vice-chairman. He is the chairman of JGL Worldwide Group, a logistics and supply-chain company with operations across Southeast Asia. Under his chairmanship, Geylang underwent significant changes to its playing squad, football operations and management structure ahead of the 2026–27 Singapore Premier League season. The club appointed additional technical staff, including a dedicated strength and conditioning coach and a first-team analyst, while expanding its first-team squad. Gay stated that the club's plans would require significant investment and that his aim was to build Geylang as a long-term institution that could be a source of pride for both its supporters and Singapore. The new management set its sights on returning the club to continental competition, with head coach Noor Ali targeting a top-three league finish and qualification for Asian competition.
Honours
Bold is for those competition that are currently active.
Award winners
Domestic
League Player of the Year
Tomoyuki Doi (2024–25)
League Young Player of the Year
Robin Chitrakar (1996)
Ahmad Latiff (1997)
Indra Sahdan (2000, 2001)
Baihakki Khaizan (2003)
League Coach of the Year
Jang Jung (2001)
Scott O'Donell (2003)
League Player of the Year
Tomoyuki Doi (2024–25)
League Goal of the Year
Barry Maguire against Young Lions 20 August 2019
Khairul Nizam against Tampines Rovers on 7 November 2020
League Golden Gloves
Zaiful Nizam (2022)
League Team of the Year
Shawal Anuar (2019)
Joshua Pereira (2022)
Zaiful Nizam (2022)
Vincent Bezecourt (2022, 2024–25)
Tomoyuki Doi (2024–25)
Records and statistics
As of 13 September 2026.
Top 10 all-time scorers
Biggest wins: 0–9 vs Sengkang Marine (On 18 July 2002)
Heaviest defeats: 0–8 vs Lion City Sailors (On 11 April 2021)
Youngest goal scorers: Zikos Chua ~ 16 years 11 months 30 days old (On 14 April 2019 vs Young Lions)
Oldest goal scorers: Daniel Bennett ~ 38 years 9 months 18 days old (25 October 2016 vs Home United)
Youngest ever debutant: Zikos Chua ~ 16 years 2 months 19 days old (On 4 July 2018 vs Young Lions)
Oldest ever player: Daniel Bennett ~ 38 years 09 months 18 days old (On 25 October 2016 vs Home United)
Notable players/managers
Players
PJ Roberts
Hamid Reza Estili (The former Iranian international left Geylang after two years with the club and would go on to seal his name in world football history when he scored in Iran's 2–1 win over United States in the 1998 FIFA World Cup)
Mohammad Khakpour (Leaving Singapore after that season, Khakpour went on to captain the Iran national team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup)
Fandi Ahmad
Kadir Yahaya
David Lee
Amy Recha
Chris Riley
Lutz Pfannenstiel
Vincent Bezecourt
Yuki Ichikawa
Yushi Yamaya
Tomoyuki Doi
Coach
Jalal Talebi (Managed Iran at the 1998 FIFA World Cup)
Jang Jung
Managerial history
Performance by coach
The following table provides a summary of the coach appointed by the club.
Season by season record
The 1996 season of the S.League was split into two series. Tiger Beer Series winners Geylang United defeated Pioneer Series winners Singapore Armed Forces in the Championship playoff to clinch the S.League title.
2003 saw the introduction of penalty shoot-outs if a match ended in a draw in regular time. Winners of penalty shoot-outs gained two points instead of one.
Performance in AFC competitions
AFC Champions League: 1 appearance
2002–03: Qualifying East – 3rd Round
Asian Club Championship: 4 appearances
1989: Qualifying Stage
1990: Qualifying Stage
1991: Qualifying Stage
1998: First Round
AFC Cup: 2 appearances
2004: Semi-finals
2010: Group stage
Asian Cup Winners Cup: 2 appearances
1990/91: First Round
1991/92: First Round
Media controversies
2016 Post-season issues
On 7 November 2016, The Straits Times reported that Geylang International will not pay two of their players' December salaries. Former Singapore national captain Indra Sahdan and Carlos Delgado were affected. It is believed that the club docked Indra's salary as it is displeased that he missed many training sessions while Delgado had some disagreement with the management over money. Club chairman, Ben Teng revealed that as many as 12 players signed two-year full-time contracts at the beginning of this season. The management committee made most of the decisions regarding the handing out of contracts last season, before Teng came on board to replace Leong Kok Fann. Teng added that he has spoken to all the players and will intend to honour their contracts. In addition, some players, who supplemented their income by driving for Uber, have been ordered to stop such off-field activity. Teng revealed his concern and decided to impose a ban on such activities. The players have signed declarations that they do not have other employment outside of football. As professional, players should be focused on raising our playing standards and should not be distracted by off-field activities.
2018 Foreign Players Recruitment
On 13 February 2018, Geylang International attempted to recruit foreign players online. The advertisement was swiftly removed once the public took notice of it. Despite this, Geylang International continued to boast a crop of talented foreign players. Japanese central defender and fan favourite Yuki Ichikawa played in his 7th season with Geylang International during the 2020 Singapore Premier League season. Yuki will be remembered for scoring the dramatic last minute winner against his former club Albirex Niigata in the first game of the Eagles' 2019 season. Barry Maguire also starred for The Eagles in the 2019 season, scoring a tremendous long range goal against the Young Lions, winning the 2019 Singapore Premier League Goal of the Year award.