Not Mission Impossible

Lions believe they can overcome 2-0 deficit against Vietnam in Phu To

- David Lee

As the Lions lick their wounds, Singapore's national football coach Tsutomu Ogura wants his players to be fearless when they attempt to do what no team has ever done at the Asean Championship – overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in the knockout stage.

Ahead of the Dec 29 second leg of their semi-final tie against Vietnam at the 20,000-seater Viet Tri Stadium in Phu To, he compared the two-legged affair to a game of two halves.

"We finished the first half in Singapore, it's about how we prepare for the second half. Zero-two is a dangerous score. If we score one, who knows what could happen?"

On Dec 26, Singapore conceded twice in stoppage time of the first leg at the Jalan Besar Stadium, despite putting up a creditable display against their world No. 114 opponents, who are ranked 46 places higher.

Understandably, the mood in the dressing room post-match and on the flight to Vietnam the next day was sombre, as the players reflected on the loss, which featured controversial video assistant referee decisions at both ends.

Defender Safuwan Baharudin said: "We took the game to them and deserved at least one goal. I'm proud of our performance, but that's not enough because football is about results and we owe that to the fans."