Singapore secured an historic qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup following a come-from-behind 2-1 away win over Hong Kong, China at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday, where Ilhan Fandi emerged as the nation’s hero.
Introduced as a substitute just before the hour mark and with the team trailing by a goal, Ilhan made an immediate impact with an assist for Shawal Anuar’s equaliser in the 65th minute before scoring the winner four minutes later with a firm strike from the edge of the area.
With a perfect away record in their Asian Cup campaign following earlier wins against Bangladesh and India, the Lions have secured top spot in Group C with 11 points after five matches with a game to play. They cannot be overtaken by second-placed Hong Kong, who have eight points, due to the teams’ head-to-head record.
Singapore had absorbed sustained early pressure from Hong Kong, and went behind in the 15th minute to a header by Matt Orr, but the visitors remained composed to claim a result that secured their qualification. The Lions will wrap up their group stage with a match against Bangladesh in March.
This is the first time Singapore have successfully earned their place on merit for the AFC Asian Cup, although the Lions competed in the continent’s national team competition in 1984 by virtue of being the host nation.
The Philippines, meanwhile, maintained their push in Group A with a 2-0 win over the Maldives.
Kenshiro Daniels opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a composed finish before Jarvey Gayoso added a second 13 minutes later to secure the result. The win keeps the Philippines in contention for the group’s top spot with two fixtures remaining.
Jude Soonsup-Bell produced two goals in a memorable debut for Thailand as the ASEAN giants cruised to a 4-0 away victory over Sri Lanka.
Thanawat Suengchitthawon and Pansa Hemviboon were the other scorers as the Thais remained level on points with Group D leaders Turkmenistan, who defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1.
Thailand must beat Turkmenistan in the last fixture in March to seal qualification to the AFC Asian Cup, having lost the reverse fixture 3-1 in June.
Malaysia, meanwhile, extended their winning run to five matches in their Group F campaign with a 1-0 victory over Nepal at Bukit Jalil Stadium.
Faisal Halim scored the only goal in the 56th minute after Nepal goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu had kept his side in the game with several early saves. Malaysia created a number of chances through sustained pressure and wide combinations, and the result keeps them six points clear at the top of the group ahead of Vietnam, who play on Wednesday against Laos.
Photo: Football Association of Singapore
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