HANOI, Vietnam — Singapore survived a series of scares and saw the woodwork deny the hosts twice as their 0-0 draw with Vietnam at Mỹ Đình National Stadium left their 2026 ASEAN Championship destiny in their own hands.
The result, while not the win the visitors had targeted in Hanoi, keeps Singapore top of Group A alongside earlier victories over Cambodia and Timor-Leste. The draw preserves their chance of reaching a second straight semifinal: if one team prevails in Monday’s meeting between Indonesia and Vietnam, Singapore will need only to avoid defeat against Indonesia on Aug. 7 to guarantee a place in the last four.
Lions captain Hariss Harun, who was named player of the match, described the outing as a strong, hard-earned point and said the squad would rest and refocus ahead of the final group fixture. He added that nothing was decided yet and stressed the team would approach the next match with the same focus, mindful of the tasks and expectations ahead.
The match featured a dominant opening from the reigning champions. Nguyễn Đình Bắc’s deflected effort in the 12th minute clipped the sidenetting, and Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud produced a flying save to deny Trương Tiến Anh six minutes later. Vietnam squandered other opportunities: Đình Bắc sent an acrobatic volley over, centre-back Nguyễn Thành Chung twice sent headers narrowly off target, and Hêndrio shot wide in the 48th minute after Rafaelson’s build-up play. The crossbar also aided Singapore twice — to keep out a long-range piledriver from Nguyễn Hoàng Đức around the half-hour mark and a left-footed effort from Geovane Magno in the 80th minute.
Singapore grew into the game in the second half and nearly snatched victory late on. In the 77th minute Kyoga Nakamura’s long free kick found Jacob Mahler unmarked, but Lê Giang Patrik produced a fine stop to deny the visitors. The Lions will return home for six days before facing Indonesia in their Group A finale.
