Singapore: The semi-finals of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 will get underway on Thursday when Singapore will host Vietnam at the Jalan Besar Stadium for the first leg.
Singapore will return to play at the Jalan Besar Stadium instead of the National Stadium due to its unavailability, having already been booked for concerts during this period.
The Lions last played out a nervy scoreless draw across the Causeway Divide in Kuala Lumpur which helped them go through as Group A runners-up.
Interestingly, the Lions’ last ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ match at Jalan Besar was against Vietnam two years ago in a game that also finished goalless.
Shawal Anuar is top of the scoring charts with four goals to his name so far, while fellow speedster Faris Ramli is also in good form having already scored twice in this campaign, with the duo once again set to be key in this fixture.
Much of the talk leading up to the semi-final has been dominated by the overwhelming reception from the local fans, with some of them even queuing overnight to get their hands on the coveted match tickets with the 6,000-seater stadium sold out days in advance.
Heartened by the overwhelming show of support, Singapore captain Hariss Harun made a surprise visit to the stadium, personally purchasing tickets for the first 10 fans in line.
Their opponents, Vietnam will come into this game full of confidence, having registered three wins and a draw to top Group B. They boast the best defensive record in the tournament so far conceding only twice, while they are the second-highest scorers with 11 goals in the group stage.
That goal tally included an eye-catching 5-0 win over Myanmar in which debutant Nguyen Xuan Son earned admirers after scoring two goals and providing two assists in his first 90 minutes of international football.
Happy National Day 🇸🇬! R. Sasikumar's "Shoulder of God" won the Lions🦁 their first 🏆 in 1998! #AFFSuzukiCup18 pic.twitter.com/5CgSSmVxmW
— ASEAN United FC (@aseanutdfc) August 9, 2018
Both nations haven’t played each other much in recent years but have however clashed nine times in the years gone by in the ASEAN Championship with Vietnam winning three of those while Singapore’s only success came in the 1998 ASEAN Championship Final in Hanoi, when R. Sasikumar’s “Shoulder of God” earned the Lions the first of their four titles.
If the Lions are to reach the final again, they would have to end that 26-year winless streak against Vietnam, and thus the first leg will have added significance.
Singapore vs Vietnam
Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
Kick-off: 26 December, 9:00 PM (Local Time)
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