Keisuke Honda does the talking off the pitch as FC Jurong get off to a winning SPL start

SINGAPORE – Japanese football icon Keisuke Honda has arrived with a pledge to take FC Jurong to the top of the Singapore Premier League.

But if first impression is anything to go by, the 40-year-old’s impact could be felt both off the pitch and on it, after Jurong’s dominant 4-0 win over Young Lions on Sept 13 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Honda had been widely expected to make his SPL debut in Jurong’s season opener. Instead, the veteran midfielder swopped his shorts and boots for track pants and trainers, taking his place on the touchline as he coached the team during the match.

In June, Jurong had announced the appointment of Jaswinder Singh as head coach for the 2026-27 season but in their first match, it was Honda who looked more like the man in charge.

During a hydration break in the first half, he whipped out a tactics board and was seen briefing the players. He was also vocal from the touchline during the match.

To the disappointment of the more than 700 fans at the stadium, Honda was not in the match-day squad when team news was released an hour before the 7.30pm kick-off. Instead, the 40-year-old was listed as one of the team staff on the official team sheet.

Jaswinder said after the win that Honda was still not match fit and therefore did not feature.

The 38-year-old added: “He only joined us late in pre-season because of his prior commitments. So it’s just about getting him ramped up in terms of fitness.”

According to the SPL regulations, all head coaches must possess an Asian Football Confederation professional coaching diploma or equivalent. Jaswinder meets the criteria but not Honda.

When quizzed further about Honda’s involvement from the sidelines, Jaswinder said: “Keisuke has vast experience, a vast resume. He’s played in the biggest leagues, so he is here to share his experiences with us and with the team.

“So, if he’s ready to, if he wants to give information (to players), I don’t see a problem. So in any way that he can share his experiences with the team, I think that’s that’s important for us.”

On the victory, Jaswinder: “We grew into the game and... getting the three points was the priority as well as keeping a clean sheet.”

Midfielder Haziq Kamarudin, 25, shared with The Straits Times after the victory that Honda has been “very positive” for the team and that he had pointed out the areas to improve on during the hydration break and at half-time.

Jurong, formerly known as Albirex Niigata Singapore, announced the coup in signing the Japanese star in April. Honda, who has 98 caps and 37 goals for Japan, including four goals across three World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018), retired from international football in 2018.

The evening began with a minute’s silence observed before kick-off honouring former Singapore head coach Barry Whitbread, who died aged 77 on Sept 9.

While the Young Lions – who had Welsh midfielder Kai Whitmore among their debutants – made the better start, with midfielder Nathan Mao going close in the early stages, it was Jurong who struck first.

In the 14th minute, Japanese forward Toa Suenaga opened accounts from close range after Izwan Mahbud spilt a shot from Takuma Yamaguchi.

Suenaga then made it two in first-half stoppage time when he dribbled past Iryan Fandi before slotting past Izwan.

After Izwan was replaced by Slovenian Benjamin Zerak in the 67th minute due to injury, Singaporean midfielder Andrew Aw Yong scored the third goal in the 81st minute before Shunsuke Ono headed in from a corner six minutes later to round off the scoring.

At the other end, 42-year-old Hassan Sunny had a night to remember too, coming up with several sublime saves to keep a clean sheet.

Young Lions coach Firdaus Kassim felt that the scoreline did not reflect how the game panned out.

Firdaus said: “We had six or seven very, very good chances that we didn’t take. They took their chances, and football is about fine margins. I really didn’t think it’s a four-nil game. We made three or four mistakes and all of them were punished.”

Jurong will next face Hougang United at the Jurong East Stadium on Sept 18.

Asked if Honda would be able to make his playing debut then, Jaswinder said: “Not quite yet. It’s a bit of a tight one, but like I said, we are working every day to make sure he’s fit enough and ready for the games.”

Analysis

Although the Young Lions bolstered their squad for the new season with experienced players including Japanese defender Shuya Yamashita (28), midfielder Joel Chew (26), fullback Hafiz Nor (38) and veteran goalkeeper Izwan (36), the team still lacked overall maturity.

Defensive lapses and poor decision-making on the ball were evident in their opener, highlighting key areas for improvement if they hope to better last season’s seventh-place finish.