Singapore celebrate after scoring the first goal against Timor-Leste, 14 December 2024
HANOI, 14 DECEMBER 2024 – With the game deadlocked at 0-0 and Timor-Leste proving to be a stubborn side to break down, Singapore Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura turned to in-form forward Shawal Anuar for inspiration at the Hang Day Stadium.
And the 33-year-old substitute stepped up to the plate.
He proved to be the difference-maker, getting involved in all of the goals as Singapore came away with a 3-0 win in their second Group A clash in the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup on Saturday (14 December).
A disciplined and organised Timor-Leste initially made life difficult for the Lions, but a much-improved second half meant they have earned maximum points from their first two games.
With a game against defending champions Thailand on the horizon, Coach Ogura opted to shuffle his pack, making seven changes to his starting eleven.
“The preparation has been good for each game and each member of my squad has been giving their 100% effort, so I was able to change up my team and pick new players that have been performing well in training,” said Ogura.
Two of his changes saw forwards Abdul Rasaq and Naqiuddin Eunos make their first starts in the tournament.
Naqiuddin nearly got the Lions off to a dream start when Kyoga Nakamura presented him with a delightful cross two minutes into the game, but the 28-year-old could only direct his header over the bar.
There were also a few uneasy moments early in the first half for the visitors, and Timor-Leste’s best chance came from an audacious long-range effort from Joao Pedro in the seventh minute that rattled Izwan Mahbud’s right post.
“Although we made some individual mistakes in the first half, the team also did well to cover for each other’s mistakes,” said Coach Ogura.
“I spoke to the team about the importance of recovering the ball, because if we always have players cover for one another, we would not concede many goals.”
Shawal Anuar (#20) celebrates after scoring the first of his two goals against Timor-Leste, 14 December 2024
After a cagey first half in which both teams struggled to stamp their authority, Singapore came out from the break the more inspired of the two sides.
“At half-time, Coach Ogura told us to keep moving the ball forward and getting bodies into the box. We were able to convert the chances we created into goals, which helped us to get the win,” said man-of-the-match Shawal.
The Lions thought they had found the breakthrough in the 51st minute. Abdul Rasaq tapped in from close range after a scramble in the Timor-Leste box, but the offside flag quickly cut short their celebrations.
Rasaq came close in the 64th minute with a curling effort from outside the box, but once again the effort was just too high.
Singapore were given a lifeline in the 73rd minute when defender Olagar Xavier was adjudged to have pushed substitute Shawal in the box.
Up stepped Kyoga, who confidently tucked the penalty into the bottom corner for his first goal for Singapore.
Shawal would prove to be a constant thorn in the Timor-Leste side. In the 83rd minute he tapped home a Safuwan Baharudin drilled cross to double his side’s lead.
The forward popped up in the box again just seven minutes later to convert another cross – this time from substitute Jordan Emaviwe to secure the three points for the Lions.
“We were much improved in the second half both on and off the ball, allowing us to go forward and score the goals. But we still could have scored a few more,” said Ogura.
Shawal Anuar answering questions at the post-match press conference, 14 December 2024.
Having fought hard for the three points, the Japanese tactician is now looking forward to his side’s next game at home against Thailand.
“There are only two days between each game, so our focus now is to prepare well against Thailand. I know they are one of the best teams in Southeast Asia, but we want to put up a fight against them.”
Singapore will face the defending champions on Tuesday, 17 December. Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster. Use the promo code: ROAR24 to get tickets for as low as $10.
Lions Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura answering questions at the post-match press conference, 14 December 2024.
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
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