Lions Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura and Naqiuddin Eunos at the pre-match Press Conference, 13 December 2024.
HANOI, 13 DECEMBER 2024 – The Singapore Men’s National Team will return to Vietnam’s Hang Day Stadium, 26 years after winning their first ASEAN Championship title at the same storied ground, to face Timor-Leste on Saturday (14 December) in their second Group A encounter of the same tournament.
Now known as the Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the stakes are just as high as the Lions look to build on their winning start.
Standing in their way is Timor-Leste, who play their home games in Hanoi as they do not have a stadium that meets the standards of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The hosts have yet to secure their first points of the tournament but Head Coach Tsutomu Ogura and the Lions are well aware that the home side will be no pushovers.
Despite suffering a heavy 10-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions Thailand in their first game, Timor-Leste responded strongly with a gritty away display at Malaysia. They played an effective counter-attacking game, taking a 2-1 lead at halftime before succumbing to a 3-2 defeat.
Their squad consists of several overseas-based players such as forward Zenivio Mota, who features for Singapore Premier League side Tanjong Pagar United, as well as Cambodian side Angkor Tiger’s Joao Pedro – who netted his side’s two goals against Malaysia.
Recognising the threat posed by the home side, Coach Ogura called on his charges to remain disciplined throughout the game.
“I watched Timor-Leste’s game against Malaysia and they showed a lot of improvement from their previous match. I’ve said before that all the sides in this tournament are tough opponents, and Timor-Leste will be no different.”
“If we want to get the win on Saturday, we must strike a better balance between the offensive and defensive sides of our game, compared to our performance against Cambodia,” said Ogura.
Naqiuddin Eunos answering questions at the pre-match Press Conference, 13 December 2024.
A few of Ogura’s players got their first taste of the region’s premier footballing tournament in the Lions’ opening 2-1 win over Cambodia, one of whom is Geylang International winger Naqiuddin Eunos, who finally fulfilled his dream of playing in the competition.
“Singapore has previously achieved good results in the tournament, but this year we want to do better and write our own history,” he said.
Singapore’s clash against Timor-Leste will be broadcasted live on both meWATCH and Channel 5. The match is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, 14 December at 6:30pm, Singapore time.
Singapore’s next home game will take place on Tuesday, 17 December. The Lions take on Thailand and tickets are on sale online via Ticketmaster. Fans are encouraged to use the promo code: ROAR24 to get discounts on their tickets.
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
