LIONS FINALLY ON SONG

His brace in win over India puts S'pore in joint-lead with HK to set up Nov 18 decider

- David Lee Senior Sports Correspondent

Song Ui-young was Singapore's hero with a brace against India on Oct 14. The Lions, with eight points and a difference of +2, trail HK only by goals scored (5-6). PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

(PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE)

After sleepwalking for most of the first half against India, the Lions woke up in time to score twice for a 2-1 comeback win on Oct 14 to haul themselves back in contention for a maiden Asian Cup qualification.

With Group C leaders and world No. 146 Hong Kong held to a 1-1 home draw by 184th-ranked minnows Bangladesh, Singapore have eight points and a goal difference of +2. They trail Hong Kong only by goals scored (5-6).

Only the top team from each of the six groups will join 18 other sides who have qualified for the tournament proper in Saudi Arabia in 2027, which means India and Bangladesh are out of the reckoning.

With the competition regulations stating that the tiebreaker for teams level on points is their head-to-head record, this sets up a winners-take-all clash between the top two at Kai Tak Sports Park on Nov 18. Both sides played to a 0-0 draw at the National Stadium on March 25.

If their next match ends in a draw, it will go down to the last round of qualifiers on March 31, 2026, when world No. 158 Singapore host Bangladesh and Hong Kong visit 134th-ranked India. The Lions have featured only once in the continental showpiece when they hosted the 1984 edition.