Singapore enter their trip to Hà Nội with a maximum six points from two games at the 2026 ASEAN Championship and face defending champions Vietnam at Mỹ Đình National Stadium on Friday. Vietnam beat Singapore 5-1 on aggregate in the semifinals of the previous edition one and a half years ago.
The Lions’ last victory over Vietnam came in the 1998 final, when R. Sasikumar scored what became known as the “shoulder of God” winner. A draw in Hà Nội would keep Singapore top of Group A ahead of the final group match against Indonesia on Aug. 7.
Coach Gavin Lee said Singapore will not simply aim to settle for a draw, stressing the team’s approach and mentality. “It goes back to values of how we approach things,” Lee said in a prematch news conference, according to ESPN. “As long as we stay in the game, we have the quality to hurt most teams.”
Striker Ilhan Fandi has been present at five straight news conferences by design and was named player of the match against Cambodia and Timor-Leste, a sequence that ensured his post-match presence after Singapore’s two wins, according to ESPN. Ilhan said a strong result in Hà Nội would help the team carry momentum into the meeting with Indonesia. “If you do your best, God will do the rest,” he added, according to ESPN.
Lee framed Friday’s test as part of a longer-term plan toward the Asian Cup next January, noting Vietnam also will be at that tournament and that the match provides a useful barometer of progress. “Vietnam are a better team than last time with new players,” Lee said, according to ESPN, adding that the group was ready for the challenge.
