Lions ‘more hungry’ for a win against Malaysia in Asean Championship clash
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Defender Safuwan Baharudin (front) during a Singapore national team training session at Multimedia University Stadium in Cyberjaya, Selangor on Dec 19.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
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BUKIT JALIL – The Lions’ fate at the Asean Championship will be decided by a single match on Dec 20.
After months of scenario planning, a roller-coaster ride in team selection, a scheduled four games in 10 days – they have won two unconvincingly and lost one valiantly – Singapore’s semi-final hopes come down to a nail-biting decider.
A draw against arch-rivals and world No. 132 Malaysia in their final Group A match will be enough to send them through.
But Lions defender Shakir Hamzah has sounded a warning to his team, noting that they would be setting themselves up for failure if they play to avoid defeat.
This comes after a bitter lesson at the last edition, when they lost 4-1 to Malaysia at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium
The 32-year-old, who was part of that team, told The Straits Times: “We didn’t turn up in our last match against Malaysia.
“We were overconfident, we thought we could come here and get a draw. That was our mistake, they were more hungry than us, and we were outrun by them.
“If we just go out there and think a draw is enough for us, it is going to be difficult for us. But if we go for the win, it makes us more hungry.”
Skipper Hariss Harun said the team would have levelled up from that big-match experience, while midfielder Shah Shahiran highlighted the desire to make things right.
Said the 25-year-old Shah: “It’s motivation because after that loss, we want to win the next one against the same team. Everyone has improved tactically and technically, and we are ready to battle.”
For pre-tournament write-offs, Tsutomu Ogura’s men are in a healthy position to progress. But challenges await 160th-ranked Singapore, who remain clear underdogs despite some positives in their campaign.
Putting aside the disparity in world rankings, the unavailability of key players – clubs are not obliged to release them due to the tournament’s scheduling outside the Fifa international window – hurts the visitors more.
While Malaysia are missing a host of first-team stars such as Arif Aiman from powerhouses Johor Darul Takzim, they have a wider talent pool of local-born and naturalised players like England-born midfielder Stuart Wilkin, Argentina-born midfielder Sergio Aguero, Scotland-born forward Fergus Tierney and former Brazilians Endrick dos Santos and Paulo Josue.
Singapore, however, are sorely missing defender Irfan Fandi and attackers Ikhsan and Ilhan Fandi, while goalkeeper Hassan Sunny has retired from international football, defender Jacob Mahler is injured, and midfielder Song Ui-young is tending to family matters.
While they welcome back Safuwan Baharudin from club duty, their defence has looked shaky, their midfield lightweight, and they are over-reliant on Shawal Anuar and Faris Ramli’s individual brilliance for goals.
The other major disadvantage they face is the scheduling, as they take on the Tigers away at the 85,500-capacity Bukit Jalil stadium in their fourth match in 10 days, after a draining 4-2 home defeat by Thailand on Dec 17.
Meanwhile, Malaysia have had six days of rest after losing 1-0 in Bangkok on Dec 14.
Playmaker Kyoga Nakamura, Hariss and Shawal are also nursing niggling injuries.
Football Association of Singapore head of football science and medicine Firdaus Maasar and his team of four trainers, a fitness coach, sports scientist, and physiotherapist are working tirelessly to get the team ready for battle.
On top of the usual massages and ice baths, they have put players in minus 120 deg C cryo chambers at the Kallang Football Hub to accelerate recovery and reduce muscle damage. They also track their sleep, soreness, fatigue and hydration using tools such as wellness surveys, urine samples and Global Positioning System tracking devices.
Mentally, Ogura has prepared for this scenario, taking his team on a Japan tour in October to play against J1 League clubs in different cities within a few days to help them experience the rigours and fatigue they would face at the Asean Championship.
Said the 58-year-old Japanese: “Our players are tired, but they are getting better. Now we look forward and try our best to prepare for the next game.”
But the Causeway derby is not like any other game.
In 14 editions of the Asean Championship, they have faced each other seven times in the group stage, and once in the two-legged semi-finals, with Malaysia proving to be Singapore’s bogey team on five occasions.
To give the Lions a boost, the Football Association of Singapore arranged a free bus service from Jalan Besar Stadium to Bukit Jalil for ticket holders on Dec 20. It is understood that around 600 fans have bought tickets from the association for the match.
The players will also be heartened to know that on the three occasions that Singapore managed to overcome Malaysia, they went on to win the title.
Said Faris: “It’s going to be one hell of a game. I want to see fighting spirit and togetherness.
“It’s all about doing it for the team, the fans who come and support us, and our nation. At the end of the day, we want to put a smile on Singaporeans’ faces.
“We let the opportunity slip the last time, and we want to grab it with both hands now.”
Previous Asean C’ship results
1996 – Singapore 1 Malaysia 1 (National Stadium)
In the first-ever Asean Football Federation Championship match, Fandi Ahmad scored an 89th-minute equaliser at the old National Stadium to cancel out K. Sanbagamaran’s 76th-minute opener. But the Lions did not make it out of Group B after they failed to beat eventual champions Thailand in their last game.
1998 – Malaysia 0 Singapore 2 (Hanoi)
The Causeway rivals met again in another Group B opener, but this time Rafi Ali and Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin’s first-half strikes sealed a 2-0 win, as unfancied Singapore went all the way in Hanoi to win their first international trophy.
2000 – Malaysia 1 Singapore 0 (Songkhla)
Singapore needed a win to make it to the semi-finals, while Malaysia needed only a draw in their last Group B match to progress. Azman Adnan scored in the 63rd minute to send the Malaysians through at the Lions’ expense.
2002 – Singapore 0 Malaysia 4 (National Stadium)
The Lions suffered their worst loss in the tournament when they were thumped 4-0 by the Tigers in a nightmarish start to their campaign, which ended after the group stage. Singapore coach Jan Poulsen was later sacked.
2007 – Malaysia 1 Singapore 1 (Shah Alam), Singapore 1 Malaysia 1 (Singapore win 5-4 on penalties, National Stadium)
Both legs of the semi-final ended with the defiant Singaporeans pegging back Malaysia, who took the lead in the second half. After a goalless extra time, Indra Sahdan, Noh Alam Shah, Mustafic Fahrudin, Fazrul Nawaz and Shi Jiayi were spot-on in the shoot-out, as Khyril Muhymeen missed and Malaysia were knocked out. The Lions went on to beat Thailand 3-2 on aggregate in the final for their third Asean title.
2012 – Malaysia 0 Singapore 3 (Bukit Jalil)
Singapore entered the Tigers’ den for their Group B opener as underdogs but Shahril Ishak’s first-half brace settled the nerves and Aleksandar Duric completed the rout. The Lions went on to capture their fourth Asean crown.
2014 – Singapore 1 Malaysia 3 (National Stadium)
Needing a draw to make it to the semi-finals, the defending champions came from behind as Khairul Amri cancelled out Safee Sali’s second-half opener, only to concede a penalty in added time. Goalkeeper Hassan Sunny ventured up in a desperate attempt to equalise, but left a gaping goal for the visitors to score a third.
2022 – Malaysia 4 Singapore 1 (Bukit Jalil)
Again, a point would have been enough for a place in the last four, but a Malaysian side boosted by foreign-born talent proved too much for the injury-hit Lions as they went down 3-0 before scoring a consolation to exit at the group stage.
