SINGAPORE: Days after a frustrating draw at the National Stadium, the Lions grabbed a pivotal win away in India on Tuesday (Oct 14) to revive their hopes of making the Asian Cup.
At the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, a Song Ui-young double gave Gavin Lee’s men all three points as they came from behind after an early Lallianzuala Chhangte strike.
Singapore remain second in Group C, after Hong Kong were held 1-1 by Bangladesh earlier in the evening.
With four games played, Hong Kong tops the group with eight points, followed by Singapore, also with eight. Both sides have the same goal difference, but Hong Kong has scored one goal more.
Bangladesh and India each have two points.
Despite having the vast majority of possession, the Lions were held to a 1-1 draw with 10-man India at the National Stadium last Thursday after a late Rahim Ali equaliser.
But it was all India in the first 45 of the return leg, which was played out at a frenetic pace. It took just 13 minutes for India to go ahead as a long-range stunner from Chhangte beat Izwan Mahbud.
As the Lions were at sixes and sevens, India continued in the ascendancy.
The home side almost doubled their lead in the 28th minute as Safuwan Baharudin cleared a Liston Colacco effort off the line with Izwan beaten. An unmarked Chhangte ballooned the ball over the bar just a minute later.
It was India again who could have gone in front in the 35th minute, but Izwan pulled off a good stop.
Just a minute before the half, Singapore got back on level terms as Glenn Kweh cleverly laid the ball off to Song, who drilled a strike into the back of the net.
The Lions doubled their lead in the 58th minute as a ball from Ikhsan Fandi found Shawal, who squared a pass in the penalty box to Song. The Lion City Sailors attacker took one touch to steady himself, and smashed the ball past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Singapore’s only appearance at the tournament was in 1984, with an automatic qualification as the host nation. The team have yet to earn a place in the Asian Cup on merit.
Wins in the Lions’ next two games – they face Hong Kong away and Bangladesh at home – will see them progress to the continental showpiece in 2027.
India are the top-ranked side in the group at 134th, while Hong Kong are 146th, Singapore are 158th and Bangladesh sit in 184th.
Singapore will next face Hong Kong on Nov 18.
