Singapore kicked off their campaign against Cambodia where we saw the Lions showcase flashes of brilliance en route to a 2-1 victory.
Singapore featured a line up with some key picks in the defense with Lionel Tan starting, and a vibrant attacking partnership in Shawal and Faris.
And it certainly didn’t take long for the gamble to pay off. In the 9th minute, good pressure from both Shawal and Glenn forced a mistake by the Cambodian custodian, and Faris pounced on the loose ball to gleefully slot it into the back of the net, giving Singapore the early lead.
Again, good pressure from the Singapore side forced another mistake from the Cambodian custodian, and Shawal made no mistake, firing it into the roof of the net to make it 2-0 in the 17th minute. Giving credit to this new-look Singapore side, they were playing some good passing football and kept good possession of the ball.
For the rest of the half, both teams just wanted to keep possession with few half-chances inbetween, both sides happy to go into the break and re-strategise. Lionel Tan deserves plenty of praise; with a lot to prove in defense, he has indeed shown up for this game.
With Cambodia pushing for the next goal, Singapore made two needless substitutions, with Faris coming off for Hami and Shahdan coming off for Hariss. There was a dynamic shift in simple things like protecting the ball and keeping possession, as the game quickly turned into a scrappy affair. But credit to the Cambodian team—they pushed for that goal that could very well turn the heat on the Lions, and in the 59th minute, they did just that. Second-half substitute Sa Ty’s strong run down the right flank led to a delicious cut-back to Cambodia’s No. 9, Chanthea Sieng, and he just couldn’t miss from there. 2-1, and game on.
And game on it was. Cambodia went all out for the equalizer, and to nullify that threat, Singapore brought on Taufik and Ryhan to change things up, switching from a 4-4-2 to a very narrow 5-4-1 formation. Cambodia certainly threw everything they had at us, but they will rue their poor finishing at the final whistle.
It was certainly nervy times for the Singapore side, especially with 6 minutes of injury time, but they eventually managed to stutter over the finish line.
In the post-match conference, Lions Coach Ogura acknowledged the strength of the competition, emphasising the challenges his team faces in the group stage. “Cambodia is a very strong team; in fact, all the teams in the group are strong. For the new players, it was a tough game, but we are preparing for our place. We want to show that our football is consistent,” he said, before highlighting the responsibility that comes with playing on home ground. “The coach can give instructions, but the players must take responsibility. Both experienced players and young ones need to bring their talent from training and convert it on the field.”
Reflecting on the match’s tense moments and looking ahead, Ogura stressed the importance of resilience and a winning mentality: “There were very dangerous situations in the last ten minutes. As a coach, my role is to support the players and give them courage to fight, especially for our supporters who come to the stadium,” he explained.
Drawing lessons from a past defeat to Thailand, he said: “We learnt from the Thailand game that even with six goals, there’s no guarantee. The next game will also be hard; the opponents will face challenges, but we cannot make things easy for them.”
Starting from $10, tickets for Singapore’s ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup home matches are available for purchase via Ticketmaster. Fans are encouraged to use the promo code: ROAR24 to get discounts on their tickets.
Photo Credit: Football Association of Singapore and SNOC
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