Anticipating the clash between the Vietnam and Singapore national teams.
Having finished top of Group B, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will face Singapore in the semi-finals. The first leg will take place at 8 PM on December 26th at Jalan Besar Stadium.
The fact that the Singapore national team reached the semi-finals of the ASEAN Cup 2024 surprised and impressed many football fans. This is because, for this tournament, coach Tsutomu Ogura was unable to bring several key players.
In addition to the absence of the three Fandi Ahmad brothers (Ifan Fandi, Ikhsan Fandi, and Ilhan Fandi), the Singapore team will also be without Jacob Mahler. This is because their respective clubs have not granted them permission to participate.ASEAN Cup 2024.
Objectively speaking, the Singapore team is not rated as highly as the Thailand and Malaysia teams. Therefore, the chances of coach Tsutomu Ogura's team reaching the semi-finals are extremely slim.
However, Safuwan Baharudin and his teammates delivered quite impressive performances. At the end of the group stage, they earned 7 points after winning against Cambodia (2-1), winning against East Timor (3-0), drawing with Malaysia (0-0), and losing to Thailand (2-4).
Reportedly, due to the National Stadium being occupied by a concert, the Singapore team had to choose Jalan Besar Stadium for their match against the Vietnamese team. This presented a significant challenge for Nguyen Quang Hai and his teammates, as they would have to play on an artificial turf surface.
Despite having the home advantage and an experienced squad (average age 28.9), the Singapore team is still not a match for coach Kim Sang-sik's squad. A victory is within reach for Nguyen Quang Hai and his teammates.
In the past, the Vietnam National Team They previously faced the Singapore national team in the semi-finals of the ASEAN Cup (formerly known as the AFF Cup). Specifically, in the 2008 ASEAN Cup, coach Henrique Calisto's team defeated the Singapore national team with a final score of 1-0.
The first leg of the semi-final at My Dinh Stadium ended in a goalless draw. In the second leg, played in Singapore, the Vietnamese team defeated the home team 1-0, thanks to the sole goal scored by Nguyen Quang Hai, the striker born in 1985.
Let's wait and see if coach Kim Sang-sik and his team can achieve a triumphant victory right here in the "Lion City" (Singapore).
