KOBAYASHI EYES TITLES WITH STAGS

Ex-Japan international part of Tampines' reinforcements as they hunt for silverware

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Competing on four fronts in 2026, BG Tampines Rovers know that a hectic period awaits them.

Fixtures are piling up fast. The Singapore Cup final is coming up on Jan 10, with the Singapore Premier League (SPL) resuming the following week.

On the regional front, the Stags have also reached the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Two's (ACL2) round of 16 and are sitting atop the ASEAN Club Championship's Group A.

As the fixture list intensifies - they will play six matches in 20 days in February - they have wasted little time in bringing in reinforcements, moving in the January transfer window to secure a coup in former Japan international Yuki Kobayashi.

The 33-year-old midfielder has made his ambitions clear as he looks to push the Stags towards success.

"My target (at the club) is that I want to be a champion," said Kobayashi, whose long hair and tattooed arms give him the look of a rock star, in a video posted on the club's social media.

"I don't want to say that I want (to score) 10 goals or make assists. No, I just want to win every game and maybe we can be champions... if I play, I will show my quality. I will show my passion for the club."