In Gavin Lee’s first game in charge of Singapore, the Lions were edged 2–1 by Malaysia in a tense and scrappy friendly at Bukit Jalil. Both sides showed flashes of quality, but it was the hosts who ultimately capitalized on defensive lapses to claim the win.

Singapore kicked off the match in front of a raucous crowd, but the game quickly turned cagey. Early fouls from Kyoga Nakamura and Irfan Fandi earned the visitors a pair of yellow cards, setting the tone for a physical encounter.

Malaysia found the breakthrough in the 25th minute after slack defending allowed Stuart Wilkin to thread a neat move, finished clinically to make it 1–0. Neither side managed to establish full control, and the score remained unchanged at halftime.

The second half began much like the first—tense and fragmented—but Malaysia struck again in the 54th minute through No.14, doubling their advantage. Singapore’s evening was further complicated when Irfan Fandi hobbled off injured, forcing an early substitution.

The Lions grew into the game in the final 20 minutes, with substitutes bringing renewed energy. Ilhan Fandi in particular impressed, pulling one back with a well-taken finish that silenced Bukit Jalil and gave Singapore hope of a comeback. Despite late pressure and the introduction of Farhan, time ran out for the visitors, and Malaysia held on for a 2–1 win.

In his first post-match press conference as Singapore head coach, Gavin Lee reflected on the performance with a mixture of disappointment and optimism. “We expected a difficult game at their home ground, and we got what we wanted: to be pushed to our limits for 95 minutes. This was very important prep for us in terms of bringing ourselves one step closer towards India qualifying.”

Lee acknowledged that his side lacked composure in decisive moments: “We weren’t calm enough in the critical moments, and that’s a consequence of us not trusting ourselves more. When we played less consciously, we found good solutions in attack and defense. But when we hesitated, Malaysia punished us.”

The coach was quick to highlight positives, especially Singapore’s attacking phases and defensive organization in spells: “We found our solutions quite well getting behind their midline, creating opportunities to exploit space. Defensively, there were good moments where we pressed higher and stopped them from playing through. But overall, we were too passive at times. At halftime we told the boys—be brave, get higher. We saw glimpses of that in the second half, but it wasn’t consistent enough.”

On Ilhan Fandi’s goal and fitness concerns on the heavy pitch, Lee was realistic: “These games stretch the players’ football fitness. Some haven’t clocked many minutes at their clubs, so they’ll definitely benefit from this. Our job is to keep them fresh, injury-free, and growing with every opportunity.”

Looking ahead, he emphasized recovery and building momentum before October’s qualifiers: “Now it’s about managing the squad for Myanmar, then preparing for India. We’ve got to take these experiences, learn from them, and show bravery when it counts.”

Malaysia head coach Peter Cklamovski praised his side’s effort but admitted there was room for improvement despite the victory. “It’s good to get the win, but there are lessons to take. When we don’t execute the fundamentals of our game, we get disjointed and make it harder for ourselves. But the players showed grit to defend strongly, and we also had good passages where we moved the ball into dangerous areas and got rewards.”

He stressed the importance of Malaysia’s collective identity, regardless of individual absences: “Whoever plays, we have principles that help us build our football. When we fall away from that, the game gets difficult. Tonight, there were periods where we moved the ball too slow or took too many touches, but we’ll learn and become stronger.”

Cklamovski also noted the contrast between halves: “In the first half our tempo was too slow, distances were disjointed. In the second half, when we lifted the intensity, we created more chances and could have scored more. That’s what we’ll take forward.”

With upcoming fixtures on the horizon, he struck a balance between satisfaction and ambition: “Victory with lessons is a good thing. We’re proud to win for Malaysia, but we know we can play better. These games are about building towards October and continuing to grow as a team.”

For Singapore, there were glimpses of promise under Gavin Lee’s new stewardship, with Ilhan Fandi’s late goal offering a silver lining. For Malaysia, the win reinforced their ability to grind results while highlighting areas for refinement. Both coaches left Bukit Jalil focused not on the scoreline, but on how their sides could sharpen ahead of competitive fixtures to come.

Photo Credit: Football Association Singapore