The 2023 Singapore Premier League (also known as the AIA Singapore Premier League due to sponsorship reasons) was the 6th season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018.
Format
The following key changes were made to the rules for the 2023 season:
- Young Lions will be allowed to register between 20 and 40 players, three of whom may be foreign or overaged Singaporean players.
- Young Lions and Hougang United to play their home games at Jalan Besar Stadium while Lion City Sailors and Balestier Khalsa will play at Bishan Stadium. Other stadiums used are: (1) Our Tampines Hub (Tampines Rovers and Geylang International), (2) Jurong East Stadium (Albirex Niigata and Tanjong Pagar United), and (3) Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium (DPMM). DPMM will play their 1st three home matches in Jalan Besar Stadium as their home ground is undergoing renovation.
- For Brunei DPMM, they are required to have a minimum of one Under-23 player of Bruneian nationality fielded during the entire first half of a match.
- All clubs may include a maximum of five players from its COE Under-21 team in its match-day squad.
- VAR technology will feature for the first time in Singapore league history.
The following key changes were made to the rules since the 2022 season:
- Each team is able to register up to 25 players in their squad, a reduction of 3 players as compared from 2020.
- Albirex is allowed to have a minimum squad of eighteen (18) Players under non-amateur (Professional) contract, as at the pre-season minimum registration deadline and a maximum of twenty-five (25) Players.
- From 2021, Albirex is allowed to sign a maximum of 2 overage Singaporean players. One U-23 Singaporeans need to be in their starting lineup for each game.
- Clubs will be equipped with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices - among other performance and tracking gear. Value of the sponsorship is worth around $620,000.
- SPL clubs are now allowed to register a maximum of four foreign players with no age restrictions, of whom at least one shall be of the nationality of an AFC Member Association (Asian). A maximum of four foreign players may be named or fielded in any one match.
- Players shall be allocated jersey numbers 1 to 50. Jersey number become available for allocation to new members after a player ceased to play for a club.
- 1st transfer window: 1 January 2023 to 19 March 2023, 2nd transfer window: 1 June 2023 to 28 June 2023
Teams
A total of 9 teams competed in the league. Albirex Niigata (S) was an invited foreign club from Japan, while DPMM FC was an invited foreign club from Brunei.
Stadiums and locations
Personnel, kit and sponsoring
<small>Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.</small>
a. Jacob Mahler was club captain at Young Lions until 19 May 2023, when it was announced he signed for Madura United. Harhys Stewart is now serving as the de facto captain.
Coaching changes
Foreign players
Singapore Premier League clubs could sign a maximum of four foreign players in the 2023 season. However, one of them had to be an AFC player.
Player name in bold indicates the player was registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Albirex Niigata can sign an unlimited number of Singaporean players for this season. Only 2 local players above 23 years old are allowed.
Young Lions can register a total of three foreign or overaged Singaporean players.
Results
League table
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Fixtures and results
Matches 1âÂÂ16
Matches 17-24
Statistics
Top scorers
As of 16 Sept 2023
Top assists
As at 16 Sept 2023
Own goal
As at 13 Aug 2023
Hat-tricks
As at 4 Aug 2023
Note <sup>4</sup> Player scored 4 goals
Clean sheets
As at 16 Sept 2023
Penalty missed
As at 15 Sept 2023
Referee's record
As at 16 Sept 2023
Team's discipline
As at 16 Sept 2023
Player's discipline
As at 6 Jul 2023
Awards
Monthly awards
Singapore Premier League Awards night winners
References
External links