Singapore coach Gavin Lee is hoping his team can display greater levels of consistency as they launch their ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ 2026 Group A campaign against Cambodia in Phnom Penh on Friday.
The Lions, who won the most recent of their four ASEAN titles back in 2012, go into the tournament buoyed by their recent qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 finals but Lee will be looking for further improvements throughout the regional championship.
“We always want to evaluate ourselves based on our performances,” said Lee. “Comparing what we've done in the past with the qualification and what's ahead of us, I think what’s very important for us is that we are getting more consistent during the big moments.
“Oftentimes, we allow certain situations to impact what we do next and we know that, going forward, those kinds of behaviours have got to be better. We've got to be calm and consistent, like we often reiterate within us.
“I think this competition is a fantastic test for that because you play against teams that are very motivated and want the same thing as you, and the environment is just another added stimulus that we have to deal with.
“So in this competition we'll be looking at, amongst many things, how we respond to difficult situations, how we respond to undesired actions on the pitch, and hopefully the experiences that we've had so far in all the away games will help us in this next step of our journey.”
Singapore have won all four of the previous encounters between the nations in the 30-year history of the ASEAN Championship, with the most recent a 2-1 victory in Singapore in the 2024 edition.
The Cambodians will be backed by the home support at Morodok Techo National Stadium with coach Koji Gyotoku able to call upon recently naturalised duo Alisher Mirzaev and Iago Bento as the Japanese coach attempts to lead his team to a positive start.
“We will do our best, play with determination and give everything we have tomorrow,” said Gyotoku. “However, we also have several players who are not currently in the best condition.
“The naturalised players help us greatly and provide an important boost to the team. Cambodian football is still growing and developing, so they can help fill some of the gaps and contribute to the continued development of football in Cambodia.”
Cambodia have never progressed beyond the group phase of the competition in 10 previous appearances but, after securing a win and a draw in the opening stage of the 2024 edition, Gyotoku is upbeat regarding his team’s chances.
“We have a good group of players, and we will do our best and give everything we have tomorrow,” he said.
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