Back in SPL, Boris Kopitovic eyes continental spot ahead of Tampines clash

SINGAPORE – For nearly five years, Boris Kopitovic led the line for Tampines Rovers, scoring 110 goals in 138 appearances to become their all-time top scorer in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).

Then the 2022 SPL Golden Boot left for Bali United in the Indonesian Super League in January 2025, where he netted a modest 14 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions over 1½ seasons.

While he left in search of a new challenge, the stint failed to work out as he “got pretty tired of Indonesia” and the hectic travelling.

Now the Montenegrin striker is back on familiar ground, but in the team colours of Tanjong Pagar United, who finished bottom of the table last season.

The 31-year-old told The Straits Times: “Every away game you’d need to take an airplane, a bus or the train, and I also had three more offers to go to other clubs (in Indonesia) but in smaller towns.”

He admitted he had decided to leave Tampines after receiving offers from clubs in Thailand and Indonesia, even though he was close to fulfilling FIFA’s five-year residency rule for naturalised footballers.

“Five years is a very long time, players start to get bored and tired of the Singapore league and everyone wants to push more to try a new challenge... to try to improve yourself, try something new in your career.”

Although the surroundings are familiar for his second stint in Singapore, Kopitovic will be treading on unfamiliar ground at Tanjong Pagar.

With the Stags, he was chasing goals and titles.

But with the Jaguars, he will be part of a rebuild process at a team who scored 17 goals but conceded 63 to finish bottom of the SPL with a mere seven points last season.

It is this challenge that lured the forward to join the ambitious Tanjong Pagar project, which involved a new management, a different coach in Spaniard Miquel Llado and 16 new signings.

Kopitovic said: “I got four offers from Singapore but did not agree to them and then I got an offer from Rajesh Nair (Jaguars chairman).

“He told me everything will change and it’s a new project... and that’s why I accepted quickly.

“Today I’m really happy, and it feels like my first year in Tampines, I really enjoy it here.”

He has set his sights on helping his new club qualify for continental competition. The Jaguars currently sit fourth in the table with three points after two matches, and Kopitovic has scored one goal so far.

“Of course I have a target: I want to take Tanjong Pagar to an AFC competition,” he said.

“I played five years with Tampines in the AFC Cup (now AFC Champions League Two) and I cannot explain how good that feeling is... because you not only represent your club, but also represent Singapore.”

The SPL champions and the Singapore Cup winners this season will earn qualification to cup competitions under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

But Kopitovic admitted the standard of the SPL has become much higher, especially with the change in foreign player quota.

He said: “I feel now is much more difficult because when I left, it was five foreigners and one of them had to be under-23, and now it’s seven.

“All these new foreigners make a difference and bring good quality to the league and you can see that every team is more competitive now.”

Coach Llado, 37, who came on board a month after Kopitovic’s signing was announced in July, said: “I was very impressed when I met (Kopitovic) because, besides the goal-scoring history that he has with the league, it’s nice to see positive leaders for the team and he fits in this category.

“He will have a huge impact on the standards we want to have as a team this year and I was happy that he was able to score his first goal against Balestier last time out.”

Tanjong Pagar will next face Tampines, who are third in the table and have a game in hand, on Oct 11 at the Jurong East Stadium.

On facing his old club, Kopitovic said: “If I score against them, I won’t celebrate because I respect the club, the players and people who work in Tampines.

“I’m close with the local players and I support them, but on Sunday, I promise you I will not be good with them and I will do my best to beat them.”

Geylang International v FC Jurong (Oct 10, 7.30pm, Our Tampines Hub)

Both sides have a 100% record after two games and neither side will want to drop points. The Eagles will need their scoring boots to breach a White Swans defence who have yet to concede this season.

Lion City Sailors v Young Lions (Oct 11, 7.30pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

After a shock 2-2 draw with Hougang United on the opening day, the defending champions will aim to bounce back against a Young Lions side who have conceded nine goals in two defeats.

Hougang United v Balestier Khalsa (Oct 12, 7.30pm, Bishan Stadium)

The Cheetahs failed to back up their point against the Sailors in the 3-0 defeat by Jurong. They will fancy their chances against a Balestier side who have lost both their first two matches.