Lions keep FIFA ASEAN Cup hopes alive with 1-0 win over Bangladesh

JAKARTA - Singapore revived their FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Bangladesh on Monday (Sept 28), with Harhys Stewart once again proving decisive in the match.

The 146th-ranked Lions had to work their way into the contest at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, but Stewart's 36th-minute header gave them the breakthrough and ultimately all three points.

The midfielder met a cross from left-back Nur Adam Abdullah and steered his header into the bottom corner, repeating his match-winning contribution from Singapore's 1-0 victory over Bangladesh in an Asian Cup qualifier in March.

The result leaves Singapore third in Group A on three points from two matches. Bangladesh, ranked 181st in the world, remain without a point and have been eliminated.

Singapore saw plenty of the ball early on in the match, but found little space against a Bangladesh team content to sit deep and crowd the defensive third.

The first genuine opening came in the 17th minute when Ilhan Fandi connected with a cross inside the box, only for goalkeeper Srabon to react quickly and deny him.

Singapore continued to probe and were rewarded nine minutes before the interval.

Nur Adam delivered from the left and Stewart found space in the area to guide his header beyond Srabon.

Ilhan had a chance to extend the lead in the 43rd minute after Farhan Zulkifli sent him into the box, but the striker dragged his effort wide from a tight angle.

The Lions remained on the front foot after half-time, with Shahiran testing Srabon from distance before Song Ui-young sent an effort wide from just outside the area.

Ilhan threatened again in the 66th minute when he latched onto a long ball behind the defence, but Srabon rushed off his line to close him down and the forward shot past the post.

Singapore's inability to add a second gave Bangladesh encouragement late on.

Rakib rose to meet a cross in the 80th minute, only for the danger to be cleared, before another fast Bangladesh break five minutes later forced the Lions to scramble back into position.

Singapore held firm through the closing stages to secure their first win of the tournament and keep their campaign alive ahead of their final Group A match against Malaysia in Bandung on Oct 1.

'We had a lot more control': Lions coach

In the post-match press conference, Stewart shared the familiarity of facing Bangladesh again gave him confidence going into the game.

"Obviously, the last time we played them, I got my first goal, so I just tried to find some good positions," he said.

Lions coach Gavin Lee noted that his team showed greater control than in their previous match against Bangladesh, even if they did not always make that dominance count.

"We had a lot more control. We had the solutions, and a few times we executed them well to create some chances," he said.

Stewart also pointed out that Bangladesh's physical approach had made it a demanding contest, but he felt Singapore coped well with it.

"They were going in really hard, and the referee was letting a lot of physical contact go," he said.

"They're a very aggressive opponent, but I think we did well to control the game and keep a lot of the ball."

Meanwhile, Lee acknowledged that Singapore should have made the most of the opportunities.

"We created a few decent chances compared to the Indonesia game," he said. "I'm sure everybody would have agreed that we should have knocked on their door a few more times." 

For the Lions coach, the three points ensured Singapore remained in position to extend their tournament beyond the group stage.

"We wanted to put ourselves in a position where we can play four games, and we're still in it," he said.

"So now it's up to us to rest, recover as much as we can, and try to arrive 100 per cent against Malaysia."

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shafiq.apandi@asiaone.com