(Left to right) Singapore Interim Head Coach Gavin Lee and forward Ilhan Fandi at the pre-match Press Conference, 13 October 2025.
GOA, 13 OCTOBER 2025 – Fuelled by the sting of last Thursday’s stoppage-time heartbreak, the Singapore Men’s National Team are eyeing redemption as they face India in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers at Goa’s Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday (14 October).
With Group C hanging in the balance after Hong Kong, China’s dramatic 4-3 win over Bangladesh, the Lions know a positive result here will keep their qualifying hopes alive. They currently trail group leaders, Hong Kong, China by two points, while India sit three points behind in third.
After letting their one-goal lead slip at the death in the home fixture, Lions Interim Head Coach Gavin Lee is looking to turn that disappointment into motivation in Goa.
“The team created quite a few opportunities and did enough to kill off the game, but we allowed the last situation to define the game. We must not waste this experience and use the pain as fuel for the next game,” he said.
“The boys were obviously not pleased, so it’s our job to channel those emotions and make sure we don’t go through something similar here.”
Gavin Lee at the pre-match Press Conference, 13 October 2025.
Striker Ilhan Fandi echoed his coach’s sentiments, as he called for a strong response.
“Mistakes happen in football, and we have to bounce back from what felt like a loss after dropping two points. We need to focus on this chance to redeem ourselves and get our campaign back on track,” said the 22-year-old.
Despite the suspensions of key players like midfielder Shah Shahiran and full-back Ryhan Stewart for this crucial clash, Lee and the Lions remain laser-focused on the task ahead.
“The equation has changed a little, but our focus is on the next set of challenges. Our mindset in the last game was to secure all three points, and that has not changed,” explained Lee.
“Us playing away is a slight advantage to India, but that’s not a problem. We will go in with our head down and do our best to bring all three points home.”
The Lions will be up against an India side buoyed by their battling performance in the previous encounter, where they snatched an equaliser despite being down to 10 men.
“What we saw on the pitch from India was that they never stopped fighting. That is a testament to their coach and the culture he’s built,” said Lee.
“But we gave our opponents a little bit of hope till the end, and it came back to bite us. We paid the consequence for that, and we cannot allow that to happen again.”
Ilhan Fandi at the pre-match Press Conference, 13 October 2025.
Playing in front of India’s raucous home crowd will be no easy feat, but Ilhan – who has scored two goals in his last three Lions appearances – remains confident.
“Every international game is important to us, especially given the situation we are in. Playing away is always difficult, but if we can do it in Bangladesh, why can’t we do it here in India?” said Ilhan.
“These three points are crucial – not just for our goal of qualifying for the Asian Cup for the first time, but also to give hope to Singaporeans back home that we can do it. All respect to India, but we’re here to go all out.”
Fans who plan to support the team in Goa can get their tickets here. They can also catch the match live on mewatch on Tuesday, 14 October at 10pm.
