An important goal for the team and for me: Saifullah

Ask Saifullah Akbar about how his year has been on the football front and the 23-year-old will struggle to find anything positive to say.

But yesterday, the attacking midfielder rose to the fore by scoring the only goal as the national Under-23 football team pipped Cambodia 1-0 at the SEA Games.

It was the Young Lions' first victory of these Games in Vietnam, keeping their faint hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive ahead of their final group game against Malaysia on Saturday.

The win took Singapore's tally to four points from three matches. They are one point and one spot above third-placed Thailand.

Malaysia, who beat Laos 3-1 last night, top Group B with six points from two matches. The top two teams qualify for the semis.

Qualification is still out of Singapore's hands, though. If Thailand win their remaining games against Laos and Cambodia, they will go through and Malaysia can still progress on better goal difference even if they draw with Cambodia and lose to the Young Lions.

Saifullah made his first start of the Games yesterday. He had come on as a substitute and provided the assist for Jordan Emaviwe's equaliser in the 2-2 opening draw with Laos. He did not feature in the team's 5-0 hammering by Thailand on Monday.

On his match-winner, he said: "I was almost in tears. This goal means a lot to me.

"I have been talking to my fiancee about my struggles having not played much football for more than a month. Scoring the goal means a lot to me and I am very happy. I have no words to describe my emotions.

"It was important to win today and go to the last game with something to fight for. It was an important goal for the team and for myself."

Saifullah enjoyed a stellar 2021, in which he won the Singapore Premier League with the Lion City Sailors and made his national team debut.

This year, he has found himself surplus to requirements at club level. In the Sailors' recently concluded Asian Football Confederation Champions League campaign, Saifullah did not play a single minute of the six matches.

Last season, he started 20 out of 21 league matches - he was suspended for the other - and completed nine of those.

But, due to stiffer competition for places and a niggling foot injury this year, he has had only three starts in eight games.

But yesterday, he started for the Young Lions at the Thien Truong Stadium in Nam Dinh and made a telling contribution in front of 11,578 spectators, which included Speaker of Parliament and Singapore National Olympic Council president Tan Chuan-Jin.

Going into the match, pressure was on the Young Lions as a defeat would have confirmed a fourth straight group-stage exit at the SEA Games.

Coach Nazri Nasir, who made seven changes to the starting XI against Thailand, was rewarded with his side's best performance at this tournament yet.

In the 36th minute, Singapore took the lead for the first time at these Games. It came from a neat build-up not seen previously at this competition from the Young Lions.

Shah Shahiran and Saifullah exchanged a one-two outside the box before the latter got on the end of Shah's cross to power an emphatic header past Cambodian goalkeeper Hul Kimhuy.

Nazri was proud of the display. He said: "The boys showed a lot of character today.

"They showed they were hungry to get the result and focused for 90 minutes. I am proud of the players. It was a do-or-die game.

"This game we saw that the players were hungry. They knew what was at stake. The boys followed the instructions and when the chance came, they made it count. The three points are very important for us."

Up next for the Young Lions is another must-win clash against Malaysia. But they must also pray that other results go their way.