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CNA
a day ago
- General
- CNA
Football: Singapore beat Maldives 3-1 in friendly ahead of crucial Asian Cup qualifier
SINGAPORE: Singapore beat Maldives 3-1 at the Bishan Stadium in an international friendly on Thursday (Jun 5). A goal in the first half from Amirul Adli and an Ikhsan Fandi double put the Lions in the lead, before a late penalty from Ahmed Rizuvan reduced the deficit. Singapore are three spots higher than the 164th-ranked Maldives in the FIFA rankings. The Lions will face Bangladesh in a crucial 2027 Asian Cup third-round group C qualifier in Dhaka on Jun 10. Singapore are grouped with Hong Kong, India and Bangladesh in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. Each of the six group leaders will qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup. Tsutomu Ogura's men only managed a 0-0 home draw against Hong Kong in March, while Bangladesh also held India to a goalless draw. The Lions have never qualified for the Asian Cup on merit, with Singapore's only appearance coming as hosts in 1984. The home side took an early lead in the eighth minute, courtesy of a header from Amirul after a looping corner from the left. Ikhsan doubled the lead 13 minutes later after he pounced on poor marking to thump a header home. The powerful striker got his second in the 32nd minute after a good delivery from Song Ui-young off a free-kick. But the Maldives were not without threat, as Ali Faser beat Izwan Mahbud but not the crossbar with a powerful shot just before the half. Singapore came out after the interval looking sharper and could have gone four goals up in the 50th minute. Tidy play from substitute Kyoga Nakamura saw him dink a ball to Ikhsan but the striker headed over. Nakamura was at the heart of all things good for Singapore and it was his ball across the box which found Faris Ramli, but the winger could only blaze over the crossbar.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lions end six-match winless run with 3-1 victory over the Maldives
Singapore's Ikhsan Fandi celebrating after scoring his first of two goals in the 3-1 friendly win over the Maldives on June 5 at Bishan Stadium. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR SINGAPORE – With Ikhsan Fandi marking his international football return with a brace, the Lions will head into their Asian Cup qualifier in Bangladesh on June 10 with some confidence after beating the Maldives 3-1 in an international friendly at the Bishan Stadium on June 5. Tsutomu Ogura's men had scored just once in their last five matches, and are missing star forward Shawal Anuar, who is set to undergo a medical procedure during this period, but were bright and clinical in attack against the woeful visitors, whose domestic league was suspended for the last two years. The Japanese coach made five changes to the side that started in the goalless Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong in March as fit-again striker Ikhsan made a timely return as the lone targetman in a 4-5-1 system. Young Lions forward Amir Syafiz was handed his Lions debut on the wing, South Korea-born midfielder Song Ui-young returned to the fold as his mother recovers from a stroke, while Jordan Emaviwe slotted in at left-back for his fourth cap, and Irfan Najeeb started at right-back. Almost all the incoming players had a hand in the opening of floodgates. Amir had already stung the palms of Hussain Shareef with his fourth-minute effort, before Amirul headed in Song's corner three minutes later for his first international goal on his 35th appearance. Ikhsan, who had not played for the world No. 161 Lions in the past year due to a series of injuries, then cushioned in a header off Harhys Stewart's left-wing cross in the 20th minute before nodding in Song's free-kick 12 minutes later for his 19th and 20th international goals on his 39th cap. While they generally played well in the first half, there will also be some areas of concern in defence, most notably in how susceptible they looked in transition and how they conceded large swathes of space and opportunities to their 164th-ranked opponents. Following a defensive lapse, Ali Fasir found himself one-on-one with Izwan Mahbud but thumped his shot against the bar in the 44th minute. Ten minutes after the restart, Hamza Mohamed managed to find Ali in the box again, but the latter volleyed wide. While the introduction of Faris Ramli, Kyoga Nakamura, Ilhan Fandi and Taufik Suparno did add attacking threat, as Song hit the post in the 61st minute, it was the visitors who created more opportunities as the match was reduced to walking pace at times in the second half. Safuwan Baharudin fouled Hassan Nazeem unnecessarily in the box for Ahmed Rizuvan to net a consolation penalty in added time to remind the Lions not to be complacent against 183rd-ranked Bangladesh in five days' time. David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Misfiring Lions aim to sharpen attack ahead of Asian Cup qualifier
Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura (left) and forward Ikhsan Fandi during a press conference ahead of the June 5 friendly with the Maldives. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN SINGAPORE – The Lions have set a target of qualifying for the Asian Cup, but the mission to reach the 2027 edition in Saudi Arabia could be hamstrung by a lack of goals. In their last five matches, Singapore managed to find the net just once. It is a worrying statistic ahead of the crucial Asian Cup third-round Group C qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on June 10. The Lions kicked off their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Hong Kong on March 25, while Bangladesh's match with India also ended in a goal-less statement. Only the group winners will advance to the tournament proper. Before the duel in Dhaka, world No. 161 Singapore will host the 164th-ranked Maldives in a friendly at Bishan Stadium in an international friendly as they seek to rediscover their scoring touch. It is a task made harder by the unavailability of Shawal Anuar – who has 26 goals in 42 league and continental matches this season – as he is set to undergo a medical procedure during this period. The goal-scoring responsibility is likely to fall on the returning Ikhsan Fandi, who has not featured for Singapore since last November, or his younger brother Ilhan. BG Tampines Rovers' Taufik Suparno and Faris Ramli, and newcomer Amir Syafiz Rashid of the Young Lions are the team's other forwards. Song Ui-young's Lions recall after a year-long absence due to family matters will also come as a boost. For Ikhsan, who has had an injury-riddled season with Thai side BG Pathum United, it is about making up for lost time. Due to an issue with his right knee and a quadriceps injury, the 26-year-old saw limited game time with his club this season and was unable to nail down a starting role. He scored three goals in eights starts and 13 substitute appearances across four competitions. 'I'm feeling good, confident and happy, and I'm ready to help the national team,' said Ikhsan, who has bagged 18 goals in 38 international appearances. 'Yes, it's been a difficult season. A lot of setbacks and I couldn't get consistency or rhythm. I want to prove myself and get back to the level where I should be at.' Watching the team struggle to score has affected him too and motivated him to stay fit and seek more regular playing time. Ikhsan said Pathum have allowed him to leave on loan next season. While he declined to confirm his next destination, ST understands that Ratchaburi FC, who finished fourth in the 16-team Thai top flight, will be his most likely destination. Ikhsan said: 'I want to be starting matches. To be honest, I feel sad whenever I'm not called up, or whenever I'm not available, because I feel like some responsibility has been put on me (to be the main goal getter for the national team).' Ilhan Fandi (second from right) during Singapore's training session ahead of the international friendly match between Singapore and Maldives, at Bishan Stadium in Singapore, on June 4, 2025. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN For Ilhan, it will be about building on the recent season which saw him named the Young Player of the Tournament at the Asean Club Championship. In 30 games for Pathum, he scored seven goals and notched four assists. It was enough to earn the admiration of Thai champions Buriram United, whom ST understands, are set to sign the 22-year-old forward on loan. On the Lions' upcoming matches, Ilhan said: 'While not having Shawal is a big miss, it's down to the other players to show that they deserve to be in the national team. I feel like I am in a good run of form, so I feel very confident against the Maldives and Bangladesh.' There is a possible wildcard in Young Lions forward Amir Syafiz, who has earned his first senior national team call-up after a strong second half of the season. The 20-year-old, who had predominantly been deployed in central midfield since his SPL debut in 2021, was thrust into the forward's role in January after Japanese forward Itsuki Enomoto left for BG Tampines Rovers. Since the start of the year, Amir has netted six goals for the developmental side. Amir could also be on the move at club level, having received offers from several local teams. However, he said he will only decide on his next step after the international fixtures, adding that staying with the Young Lions remains a possibility. While he is viewing his maiden call-up as an opportunity to learn from his senior teammates, he also hopes to be given a chance to impress. Amir said: 'I hope I can start or contribute. But I think this call-up is a stepping stone for me. I want to learn as much as I can from the senior players like Ikhsan and Ilhan, so that I can step up when needed.' At the pre-match press conference on June 4, Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura urged his team to up the ante in the creativity department. 'We need to create more chances. The delivery is also important. It is also important that we don't give up and keep trying to create chances,' said the Japanese tactician. Meanwhile, Maldives coach Ali Suzain is looking for an improvement from his team after they lost 4-1 to the Philippines in their opening qualifier. He said: 'We are looking for better defensive and midfield organisation so that is what we will be (working on) in this match.' Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
3 days ago
- General
- CNA
Singapore pushes ahead with goal of 2027 Asian Cup qualification with Ikhsan Fandi's return
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Asian Cup qualifying campaign is getting a boost with the return of striker Ikhsan Fandi to the national football team. The 26-year-old player from Thai League 1 side BG Pathum United, who was absent from the Lions for about a year because of injuries and club commitments, said he is eager to make up for lost time. Ikhsan, who has scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for the national team, told CNA he is happy to lead the attack in the absence of fellow striker Shawal Anuar. "I haven't been here for a while, so I hope the chemistry is still there with the team, but I'm very excited, and I'm going to give everything I've got, because I think I've been missing the feeling of getting my name on the score sheet for Singapore,' he said. Ikhsan added that he is looking forward to playing alongside his brother Ilhan again, who he described as a more creative and expressive player. '(Ilhan) has a good eye for the final pass, so I hope he can provide me with some assists,' he said, ahead of a sold-out friendly match against the Maldives that will be held on Thursday (Jun 5). The game at Bishan Stadium is part of preparations for the team's Asian Cup qualifying match against Bangladesh next Tuesday. COACH CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENT The Lions are in Group C of the qualifiers, along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and India. All four teams are tied on one point with five matches to go. Only the top team will qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup that will be held in Saudi Arabia. Singapore, currently ranked 161st in the FIFA rankings, has never qualified for the Asian Cup on merit, with the Lions' only appearance coming as hosts in 1984. National football team coach Tsutomu Ogura said he is demanding better concentration and work rate from his team as they prepare for their 'must-win' match against Bangladesh. He added that the match against the Maldives will be useful in analysing the players' conditioning, teamwork and fitness levels ahead of the Bangladesh match. The team has not won for the past six games and drew 0-0 with Hong Kong in March in the first match of the Group C qualifiers. When asked about the return of key attackers like Ikhsan and midfielder Song Ui-young, who are also known for their work rate, Ogura said he hopes both players will help the Lions win matches. "We need more creative chances. Like, big chances. Now we create chances, but chances are not enough, because we need more big chances to help us score a goal. We need to improve more on this,' said Ogura. Ikhsan also said that the team must remain focused and ready for any challenge, adding they cannot underestimate both the Maldives and Bangladesh, which are respectively ranked 164th and 183rd in the FIFA rankings. Ikhsan added he is confident of winning the game against Bangladesh, but noted that the team must remain composed and stick to the coach's instructions while playing away in front of massive crowds. He said that while away games can be tough, the players can draw on the support of fans back home. Ogura added that the support from Singapore fans encourages the players wherever they play.
