Wounded Lions seek Indian summer in Asian Cup qualifiers

SINGAPORE – After dominating 10-man India at home on Oct 9 only to concede a last-minute equaliser, the Asian Cup qualifier against the same opponents in Goa on Oct 14 has become a must-win for Singapore if they are to keep their fate in their own hands.

With three Group C games remaining

after the 1-1 draw,

the 158th-ranked Lions are second in Group C with five points from three games, two points behind world No. 146 Hong Kong. India are third with two points, one ahead of bottom-placed Bangladesh.

Only the top team from each of the six groups will join 18 other sides who have qualified for the tournament proper in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

With Hong Kong likely to beat 184th-ranked Bangladesh at home on the same day, Gavin Lee’s men need maximum points against 134th-ranked India at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to stay in contention before travelling to Hong Kong on Nov 18.

Interim Lions coach Lee told The Straits Times: “We have been going for three points in previous games, so nothing has changed in terms of our approach. Every game is a final for us.

“The unpleasant feeling that we had after the game is something we need to keep within us, because that’s the extra fuel going into the next game and it’s about channeling it in the best way.

“It’s easy to go into doom and gloom, but that’s not necessarily very helpful for preparation for the next game. So it’s about finding the clarity to remind ourselves of what we want to achieve and what we need to get there.”

While India will be missing suspended key defender Sandesh Jhingan, Singapore face their own selection issues as Shah Shahiran and Ryhan Stewart – who were deployed as fullbacks on Oct 9 – are also suspended, and centre-back Safuwan Baharudin faces a late fitness test after taking a knock in the last match.

“It would be unfair to the rest of the team if I said missing these players are a big loss,” said Lee, who could draft Farhan Zulkifli and Hami Syahin as fullbacks, and turn to the likes of Lionel Tan and Amirul Adli to replace Safuwan.

“We called up 26 players and all of them are eager to contribute. Ultimately, it’s about finding the best solution for the hands we were dealt with.”

Though the Lions can be prone to choking, they have also proven capable of delivering when their backs are against the wall.

Drawing inspiration from their four Asean Championship triumphs as underdogs and the unexpected away win over Thailand in the 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers, Singapore skipper Hariss Harun challenged his team to get their campaign back on track.

The 34-year-old, who has 143 caps, said: “If we won the last game, we would have gone into this game with more breathing space. But it was our own undoing and it’s time to set things right ourselves.

“We are representing the country – it’s normal to face a certain level of expectations. There’s always pressure to do well and get the win, and I hope this pressure will spur us to get the three points.

“We have managed to step up and do so in the past when we needed it the most, and we can take some inspiration from there to know that we can do it again.”

The Lions’ siege mentality extends to rallying around Jordan Emaviwe, whose loose back pass led to India’s late equaliser.

The 24-year-old, who was disconsolate after his mistake, was the subject of online vitriol as some keyboard warriors stooped to leaving comments with monkey emojis on his social media posts.

Hariss said: “Jordan is one of us and we are very much behind him. I spoke to him individually and told him this is where he shows what he is made of through how he bounces back from this.

“In this day and age, online criticism is an occupational hazard that we have to take on the chin, but there is no room for racist remarks.

“We will do our best to help him bounce back. He is in the national team because he has some sort of quality, and it is up to all of us to show the qualities that we have.”