Lions round off historic Asian Cup qualifying with 1-0 win over Bangladesh

SINGAPORE – With thousands singing along to local singer Shazza’s rendition of Home at the National Stadium, and Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the stands as guest of honour, it certainly felt like National Day had come early for Singaporeans on March 31.

On the pitch, the men’s national football team did their part to add to the carnival mood, as they rounded off their successful Asian Cup qualification campaign with a 1-0 win over third-placed Bangladesh, even if the quality was lacking.

They also signed off with an unbeaten record at the top of Group C, while Hong Kong remained second despite a 2-1 loss at bottom side India.

After thanking the fans for creating an “amazing atmosphere”, Lions coach Gavin Lee said: “We’ve got a good result, but not a good performance. Despite us having a clean sheet and finishing the campaign unbeaten, we’re definitely not satisfied with the performance.”

Singapore had already secured historic qualification after a 2-1 win in Hong Kong in November 2025, rendering this match a dead rubber, but both teams started off with intent and intensity – the former to prepare for the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia in January 2027 and the latter for their future.

Lee, who had demanded hunger and humility before the game, showed just how serious he was about it by making just two enforced changes from the starting line-up that played against Hong Kong. Irfan Fandi and Nur Adam Abdullah came in for the suspended Shawal Anuar and Song Ui-young, who is recovering from surgery.

Striker Ikhsan Fandi, who was close to tears during the national anthem, had the first big opportunity when he shot powerfully at Mitul Marma in the 20th minute.

In the stands, 30,105 fans made for a lively atmosphere, with Singapore supporters decked in red cheering to the beat of a drum and doing the Kallang Wave, while the 6,000-strong Bangladeshi contingent also showed their robust support. It was the best attendance for a Lions home game since 49,097 turned up for their 7-0 mauling by South Korea in a World Cup qualifier in 2024.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 31st minute when centre-back Irfan played a long ball to the left channel for Glenn Kweh to carry into the box.

The left winger’s shot was blocked by Mitul but the ball broke kindly for Harhys Stewart to thump in his first international goal on his 15th cap.

The 25-year-old said: “It has always been a goal of mine to score for the national team and to do it in front of the home fans is an amazing feeling. We want to push on even more towards the Asian Cup.

“There have been ups and downs, but it shows how mentally tough we are as individuals and as a team to bounce back. This is a really important asset for us going into a big tournament like the Asian Cup.”

After getting caught by Saad Uddin’s studs and requiring stitches to his left leg, Kweh was replaced by Ilhan Fandi in first-half added time, allowing the three sons of Lions legend Fandi Ahmad to play on the same pitch for Singapore for the first time since a 2-1 friendly win over Malaysia in 2022. The family affair got even bigger at half-time, when their sister and singer Iman Fandi performed on the pitch.

There was also time for 18-year-old midfielder Nathan Mao to make his senior international debut, when he came on for Ikhsan in the 66th minute.

The hosts required some luck when Mirajul Islam’s shot off Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury’s right-wing cross cannoned off the post in the 79th minute, but the match petered out with a lack of fluidity.

Post-match, pyrotechnics were set off as the Lions celebrated their qualification achievement with their fans.

Despite the win, Lee knows there is much work to be done, judging by how his team – who at world No. 146 will be the lowest-ranked side at the 2027 Asian Cup – were under the cosh against their 181st-ranked opponents and resorted to hoofing the ball upfield towards the end of the match.

The 35-year-old said: “The atmosphere was amazing, but we weren’t comfortable with it and that affected our thinking. The actions we were making on the pitch were quite unlike us.

“This is something important, because we will play in big stadiums in front of big crowds at the Asian Cup, and our ability to manage that external factor will be very important to help us better maintain our performance and game plan.”

In the other qualifiers, Thailand beat Turkmenistan 2-1 to join Singapore and Asean neighbours Vietnam and Indonesia at the 24-team Asian Cup.

However, the line-up will not be complete until June as the Group B game between Lebanon and Yemen has been postponed due to security concerns arising from the conflict in the Middle East. Lebanon are top of the group, two points ahead of Yemen, who need to win to progress.

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