KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore dashed Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Asean Cup after a goalless draw to finish runners-up in Group A with seven points at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium today.
Under the guidance of Tsutomu Ogura, the Lions, who approached the match against Harimau Malaya with a 4-1-4-1 formation, were not forced to exert much effort in the first half.
They capitalised on Harimau Malaya’s misplaced passes in midfield with several counterattacks.
Having needed only a point to qualify for their seventh semi-final in the tournament’s history, Singapore, ranked 160th in the FIFA rankings, dominated the second half, holding 60% possession and forcing Malaysia to chase the game.
Outgoing Harimau Malaya head coach Pau Marti Vicente was visibly frustrated on the touchline as his players squandered seven chances between the 60th and 80th minute of the match, with efforts from Endrick dos Santos, Sergio Aguero, Daniel Ting, Paulo Josué, and Fergus Tierney.
Singapore almost took advantage of Malaysia’s failure to score, with Faris Ramli nearly finding the net in the final 10 minutes. Goalkeeper Muhammad Haziq Nadzli made several crucial saves to keep Harimau Malaya in the game.
However, his heroic saves were not enough for Malaysia.
In the closing minutes, Ultras Malaya chanted slurs towards the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to express their dissatisfaction with the national team’s failure to win the biennial tournament since 2010.
A total of 31,127 fans from both sides attended the match, which was also dubbed the Causeway Derby.
Singapore, who last won the Asean Cup in 2012, will face the winner of Group B in a two-legged semi-final on December 26 and 29. — December 20, 2024