SINGAPORE, 10 OCTOBER 2025 – Singapore and India shared the spoils in a 1–1 draw in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Thursday, 9 October 2025, a result that stung the Singapore side that dominated a large part of proceedings.
In the match that was played under the iconic dome of the National Stadium in Kallang, Ikhsan Fandi opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time for a Singapore side looking to qualify for the continental showpiece for the first time in its history. But Rahim Ali equalised late on to deny the hosts all three points.
The Lions remain unbeaten with a win and two draws to their name, but the result saw Singapore knocked off the top of Group C. Hong Kong, China beat Bangladesh 4-3 in the other Group C fixture to go to seven points, two ahead of Singapore with three games left to play.
The Lions will travel to Goa to face India on 14 Oct, before taking on Hong Kong in November, and closing out their campaign against Bangladesh in March 2026.
“The boys are hurting… but in a way, we will go to Goa with extra fuel in the tank,” said Interim Head Coach Gavin Lee. “From tonight, we know what we’re capable of, and the question now is: can we go out there and do it for 95 minutes this time?”
The Lions started brightly and looked sharp in transition, pressing high up the pitch and combining well in attack. Their pressure paid off just before the break when Ikhsan reacted quickest in the box to fire home in the first minute of added time, putting Singapore 1–0 up at half-time.
Two minutes after the restart, India were reduced to 10 men when Sandesh Jhingan received his second yellow card. With the numerical advantage, Singapore dominated much of the second half, controlling possession and creating several openings. However, despite their pressure, the Lions were unable to find a second goal.
The visitors found an equaliser against the run of play in the 90th minute when Rahim Ali capitalised on a defensive mix-up to level the score.
“First and foremost, we didn’t take advantage of the extra man that we had for a good 45 minutes and unfortunately at the end, we allowed one action to determine the outcome and overshadow all the positive stuff that we did today,” said a disappointed Lee.
“I thought there were very good moments, in many phases, but again we didn’t make it count at the end.”
Despite that, Lee looked ahead to the Goa fixture with a defiant resolve.
“Ultimately, the message to the team is simple: the window is not over, there are another three points to play for. This is a fantastic test of our character and of us as a team. If we think that we are a team that’s better than tonight’s result, then our job is to go out there and prove it in Goa,” he said.
“In more difficult conditions, we need to rise up to the challenge and show everybody who we are.”
Captain Hariss Harun echoed those sentiments:
“We dominated most of the match and had the chances to finish it off, but at this level you get punished for mistakes. There’s still a lot to build on – now it’s about turning that dominance into goals and winning matches,” he said.
“We don’t have time to dwell on this. There’s another crucial game coming up away from home. We’ve got to regroup, stay positive, and go again.”
The Lions will travel to Goa on Saturday for final preparations ahead of the vital reverse fixture at Goa’s Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium next Tuesday.
Fans who plan to support the team in Goa can get their tickets at https://www.district.in/events/afc-asian-cup-saudi-arabia-2027-qualifiers-india-vs-singapore-oct14-in-goa-buy-tickets
