A Lion-Hearted Display

Improved show but coach Ogura laments dropped points in 0-0 draw with HK

- David Lee

The Singapore football team will feel hard done by after a lionhearted performance – and putting the ball in the net twice – only to come away with just a point from the 0-0 draw with Hong Kong in their Asian Cup third-round qualifiers Group C opener on March 25.

Defender Lionel Tan, who scored at both ends the last time both teams drew 1-1 in Hong Kong, raised the National Stadium roof when he turned in a Shah Shahiran corner in the second minute, but the referee ruled it out for a foul on goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai.

In the 78th minute, Shawal Anuar latched on to a Kyoga Nakamura through ball to dink past Yapp, only for the scorer to be deemed marginally offside.

With their 155th-ranked opponents running down the clock towards the end, Singapore will feel like they dropped two points ahead of their next game against No. 185 Bangladesh in Dhaka on June 10.

The other game in Shillong also saw a goalless draw between hosts and world No. 126 India and Bangladesh. Only the group winners will progress to the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

After seeing his team fire blanks for the fourth time in their last five games, national coach Tsutomu Ogura said: "Compared to our last game, we were much better, but we missed two points.

"We showed we have improved with our football before we reach the penalty box, but we must improve more inside the box and score.