Singapore will play Bangladesh in their final Asian Cup qualifier, with head coach Gavin Lee stating the team will take nothing for granted. The Lions have already secured Asian Cup qualification. Lee said the team will stay grounded. “We’re only as good as our next game,” he added.
Lions Focused on Preparation
Lee emphasised the importance of using the match as preparation for the Asian Cup. “Even though we’ve qualified, we know our intention for this window and for this window is bigger than that. It is about Asian Cup preparation,” said Lee.
The coach said that nobody is taking anything for granted. He added that they are looking forward to playing in front of a big crowd.
Players Eager to Perform
Ilhan Fandi, who scored the winner against Hong Kong, said the game is for the fans. “It’s a celebration for them, but we have to go out there as players and do our job … get the three points,” said Fandi.
“All the boys are excited and we’re going to go all out tomorrow,” Fandi added.
Bangladesh Seeking to Upset Singapore
In the earlier fixture against Bangladesh in June, Singapore eked out a 2-1 win in Dhaka. Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera reflected on that game. He said Singapore took advantage of mistakes.
“We had a very good start in that game and then somehow we dropped the energy and (there were) those moments in the middle of the match where Singapore took advantage very well of those situations,” said Cabrera.
Cabrera added: “And (with) two mistakes probably from us, Singapore won the game. But in the last 20,30 minutes, if you remember, we had many, many chances to at least get a point. We expect at least the same competition tomorrow.”
Singapore Eyeing Home Victory
Singapore have yet to register a home win at the National Stadium in this qualification campaign. They drew against India (1-1) and Hong Kong (0-0). With five games played, the Lions sit atop their group with 11 points and have yet to lose.
The Lions qualified for the Asian Cup on merit for the first time by defeating Hong Kong 2-1 at the Kai Tak Stadium in November. Singapore will progress to the Asian Cup regardless of their result against Bangladesh and that of the other remaining group fixture – Hong Kong’s clash with India – owing to the team’s superior head-to-head record over Hong Kong.
Despite securing Asian Cup qualification, the Lions will take nothing for granted in their dead rubber against Bangladesh. “We had some fantastic memories in Hong Kong that night, but since the first day of (centralised training) camp … it’s all about being humble and hungry. That was a nice memory but we want more,” said Lee.