PUBLISHED ONAugust 19, 2026 3:07 AMBYShafiq ApandiSingapore's Asean Championship campaign ended at the semi-final stage, but the Lions leave the competition with stronger results, growing belief and signs that supporters are reconnecting with the national team.
World No. 148 Singapore arrived at Rajamangala Stadium on Tuesday (Aug 18) needing to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit. They eventually beat hosts world No. 94 Thailand 2-1 but lost 4-3 on aggregate.
Still, the victory ended a run of 11 consecutive defeats against Thailand and was Singapore's first win over the War Elephants since 2012.
For right-back Ryhan Stewart, who was named player of the match, the performance reflected the mentality Singapore have been trying to build.
He said travelling to Thailand two goals down was always going to be difficult, but felt the Lions had shown they were prepared to fight until the end.
"I think we really showed our mindset tonight," he said during the post-match press conference.
"We gave 100 per cent and it just fell short tonight."
The result capped an Asean Championship campaign in which Singapore went through Group A unbeaten.
They beat Cambodia 2-1 and Timor-Leste 2-0, held defending champions and world No. 99 Vietnam to a goalless draw in Hanoi, then drew 1-1 with world No. 118 Indonesia to reach the semi-finals.
Thailand handed them their first defeat of the tournament in the opening leg, but Singapore's response in Bangkok added to the growing confidence within the squad that they can compete against the region's stronger sides.
Head coach Gavin Lee said the tournament had provided his players with more evidence that their recent progress was not built on words alone.
"I think I've said this before, and I joke about it again. You cannot buy belief from [supermarkets] Sheng Siong or Prime. It's just not possible. Belief is built on evidence," he said during the post-match press conference on Tuesday.
Lee pointed to Singapore's Asian Cup qualification, an earlier training trip to Okinawa and performances across successive international windows as evidence that had helped build trust within the squad.
"Trust that we can play, we can compete, and then the question is, can we do it even better against even bigger oppositions? that's how we grow."
His involvement with the national team began before he took over as interim coach.
Lee had worked under then-head coach Tsutomu Ogura and first took charge of the Lions for a match against Thailand in June 2024 when the Japanese tactician was unavailable.
When Ogura stepped down in June 2025, Lee was handed the team on an interim basis.
His first competitive run brought a 1-1 home draw with India, followed by a 2-1 away win in the return fixture and another 2-1 victory over Hong Kong in November.
That result in Hong Kong secured Singapore's place at the 2027 Asian Cup, their first qualification for the continental tournament on merit and their first appearance since hosting it in 1984.
Lee was appointed permanent head coach on an 18-month contract in November 2025.
At the time, he said his aim was to give Singaporeans a national team they could be proud of and to leave the shirt "in a better place".
Since then, the Lions have completed their Asian Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten and followed that with another unbeaten group-stage run at the Asean Championship.
There are still shortcomings to address.
Thailand punished Singapore's defensive lapses in the first leg of the Asean Championship, while the Lions have at times struggled to turn possession into clear chances. Those margins will become even smaller as they step up against stronger opposition.
Lee said the matches against Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand had nevertheless shown his players they could compete at that level, while underlining the need to do so more consistently.
Thailand coach Anthony Hudson also noted the change in Singapore.
"They're a very different team to what they were two, three years ago," he said, describing the Lions as "a very very strong team" and saying they were "on the right track".
Stewart said Singapore's ambition was to establish themselves among Southeast Asia's stronger sides and eventually become more competitive on the continental stage.
The results have also coincided with a noticeable shift in support around the national team.
More than 30,000 spectators attended Singapore's Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in March despite qualification already having been secured.
Demand for the Asean Championship semi-final first leg was similarly strong, with home tickets at the 6,000-seat Jalan Besar Stadium snapped up quickly.
Even when Singapore went 3-0 down against Thailand that night, supporters continued singing "Satu Nada".
"I think we have we have turned a few doubters into believers, and that's nice," Lee said.
"On the pitch, I think we have made some improvements. Game on game, we grew in this competition. One thing that I think we should be the proudest of is our connection with the fans. During the tournament to receive this kind of support we had at home is just just amazing."
"It's been a long while since we had this relationship, and we want to build on this."
He described the connection with supporters as one of the biggest positives from the tournament and said the players had felt that backing even when results went against them.
"They should know we will never give up, we will never give in. We just keep trying as we build towards our target," Lee added.
The support was also visible away from Jalan Besar.
Supporters gathered at watch parties around Singapore during the semi-finals, while about 100 supporters made the trip to Bangkok for the return leg.
They watched from Rajamangala Stadium after an afternoon downpour as Singapore pushed Thailand to within a goal of extra time.
For Lee, sustaining that connection will be important as the Lions move towards tougher challenges. Setbacks were inevitable as Singapore sought stronger opposition and continued building towards the Asian Cup.
"I'm sure there'll be bumps along the road. More bumps will come along the road as we try to put ourselves against even stronger oppositions. And you know, during those rough days that will come."
After collecting US$50,000 (S$63,900) in prize money from their Asean Championship run, Singapore will regroup for the Sept 24 to Oct 4 FIFA Asean Cup.
They will face hosts Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh in Group A of the Premier Division.
Then comes the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January, where Singapore have been drawn with Australia, Iraq and Tajikistan in Group D.
The Lions will enter the tournament as the lowest-ranked of the 24 qualified teams.
The Asean Championship did not deliver a place in the final, but it added to a year in which Singapore have qualified for Asia, completed a regional group stage unbeaten, taken points from Vietnam and Indonesia and beaten Thailand for the first time in 12 years.
For Lee, the challenge now is to keep building on those results and ensure the renewed support around the Lions lasts beyond one tournament.
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Shafiq.APANDI@Asiaone.com
