Winless run against Thailand will not ‘own’ Lions, says Gavin Lee ahead of ASEAN Championship semis
It has been about 14 years since Singapore last beat Thailand.
Singapore’s head coach Gavin Lee and Ilhan Fandi during a press conference ahead of the AFF Hyundai Cup semi-final match against Thailand at Jalan Besar Stadium, Aug 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: It has been about 14 years and 10 games since the Lions’ last victory over regional heavyweights Thailand, but Singapore head coach Gavin Lee said his team are not focused on past statistics but their looming ASEAN football championship semi-final first-leg clash.
“All these numbers, it just gives you the context. It just informs you, but it doesn’t own us. If we allow the numbers to own us, then shame on us. It only informs us of the kind of challenge that we can expect,” he told reporters at a pre-match press conference on Friday (Aug 14).
“Ultimately the only number is ‘one’. We are focused on the next one, which is the next game, and that’s our responsibility.”
The first leg will take place on Saturday at the Jalan Besar Stadium at 9pm. The second leg will be on Aug 18 at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium.
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“We’re very excited to go out there and play in front of a full crowd and a full stadium,” said Lee. “Hopefully, we put in a good performance and (that) brings us into Thailand with a good situation.”
The Lions’ last victory against the seven-time tournament champions came in 2012 – a 3-1 victory at Jalan Besar Stadium in the first leg of the tournament final.
Singapore went on to lift the trophy despite losing 0-1 in the second leg.
Speaking to reporters, Thailand head coach Anthony Hudson said there will be “absolutely no complacency” from his side.
“We have a great deal of respect for Singapore. I think they’ve improved a lot over the past Asian Cup campaign, and I think the coach has done a great job,” he added. “They are a team that gives everything.”
The last time the Thais faced Singapore was in a friendly late last year where they ran out 3-2 winners.
“There’s a clear tactical idea when they play,” said Hudson. “We played them in November, and we got an understanding then that this is a different Singapore team.”
Lee is also aware of the task at hand.
“This Thailand team have a very young, talented frontline, in midfield as well, and backed by experienced players at the back,” he added.
“We respect them as our opposition, but we respect ourselves even more with the group that we have.”
PERFORMANCE “WORTHY” OF SUPPORT
The Thais, who are ranked 94th in the world, come into Saturday’s game in imperious form. Finishing top of Group B, they have won all four group games and have yet to concede a goal.
This is down to the players who have been excellent both in games and training, said Hudson.
“We got very fortunate in putting together a squad of players that since day one have just worked incredibly hard. We’ve got a mix of youth and experience, and I think everyone’s really come together as a team,” he said.
“Now we’re in a place after a few weeks where we’re understanding more and more how we want to approach games.”
Despite staying unbeaten in their first four group matches, world-ranked 148 Singapore’s route to the semi-final has not been easy.
The Lions eked out a 2-1 win over Cambodia in the opening game, before beating Timor-Leste at home.
They then held Vietnam to a 0-0 away draw, before a 1-1 result with Indonesia sealed their progress to the knockout rounds.
Singapore finished second in Group A, behind defending champions Vietnam, who will face Malaysia in the other semi-final.
Tickets for Saturday’s game were snapped up almost as soon as they became available, with many fans disappointed at being unable to watch the game live. Scalpers also hawked tickets online.
While Lee said the team would have rather the tickets had gone to “genuine supporters”, he added that they are heartened by the level of support.
“That shows you how much the team has grown … The strength of this team is the team, but the fans are a big part of the team,” he said.
“And the beauty of this is (international) window to window, the team is growing bigger and bigger, we have got more and more support.
“Tomorrow night it will be so important that the team does the job. The fans will bring the noise, bring the emotions, and that’s what they will do.
“But for us, it is to really go out there and bring our performance worthy of that support that the fans have been giving us.”
Source: CNA/mt(mi)
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