LIONS GET FAVOURABLE DRAW

But Ogura says India, HK and Bangladesh will pose challenges in Asian Cup qualifiers

- David Lee

The Lions should fancy their chances of a maiden Asian Cup qualification after getting a kind draw for the third round of qualifiers, where they were pulled into Group C alongside India, Hong Kong and Bangladesh.

Only the group winners will qualify for the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

World No. 161 Singapore will kick off their campaign with a home match against 156th-ranked Hong Kong on March 25, 2025, with the qualifiers set to run until March 2026.

While they played in the Asian Cup once – as hosts for the 1984 edition, when they were eliminated at the group stage – they have never qualified for it.

This is perhaps why Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura adopted a more conservative outlook, saying: "It's a challenging group for us. These are all strong opponents and we have a lot of work to do to prepare for this campaign."