Singapore beat Cambodia 2-1 in ASEAN football championship

The Lions last faced Cambodia in 2018, when they emerged 2-1 winners in an international friendly.

While Cambodia are ranked 19 spots below Singapore in the FIFA world rankings, they appear to be on an upward trajectory.

Koji Gyotoku’s team has several naturalised players within their ranks, four of whom started the match against Malaysia in Phnom Penh. Ivorian-born striker Abdel Kader Coulibaly netted on his international debut.

The last time Singapore advanced to the knockout stages of the regional tournament was in 2021, when they were eliminated by Indonesia in the semi-finals.

NEXT UP, TIMOR LESTE

The Lions’ results prior to the tournament have not been ideal.

They played two international friendlies last month, with a 3-2 win over Myanmar and a 2-3 defeat to Chinese Taipei.

As part of preparations, the Lions played two home training matches in September. The games against BG Tampines Rovers and Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim were played behind closed doors.

In a training camp in Japan in October, Singapore faced three J1 League sides.

They lost 4-0 to FC Tokyo before beating Tokyo Verdy 2-1. The Lions were then hammered 7-1 in their final match by Yokohama F Marinos.

The Lions will next travel to Vietnam to face Timor Leste on Saturday, before a home tie with Thailand on Dec 17. They then take on Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 20.

Timor Leste, who are playing their home games at a neutral venue, were thumped 10-0 by Thailand in their opening fixture last week.