S'pore Lions beat Philippines 2-0 to wrap up FAS Tri-Nations Series on a high!
(Team Singapore before kickoff. Image extracted from Live Stream)
By Chia Han Keong
When Singapore and the Philippines last met in the group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup in December 2021 at the Sports Hub, they played out a bruising clash which the Lions held on grimly to eke out a 2-1 win.
Fast forward 4 months later and on Tuesday (Mar 29), the two sides faced each other again in the FAS Tri-Nations Series friendly tournament at the same venue - the National Stadium - and this time, it was a more benign affair as the Lions eased to a 2-0 win against the Filipinos, who were unfortunately decimated by a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad and were able to suit up only 4 substitutes.
Safuwan Baharudin's bullet header and Shawal Anuar's late goal sealed the win for the hosts, who had also beaten arch-rivals Malaysia 2-1 in their other Tri-Nations match last Saturday.
Unlike against the Malaysians - when the Lions were under constant pressure for the opening 20 minutes - they were able to settle down far more quickly against the Filipinos, and were duly rewarded for their better control with the opening goal after just 10 minutes.
It was a tried-and-tested routine that paid off again, as dead-ball specialist Shahdan Sulaiman delivered an out-swinging corner from the right, and it found its favourite target - Safuwan. The veteran defender and well-known aerial threat was somehow left unmarked as he headed powerfully home.
(Safuwan Baharudin scores Lions' 1st goal. Photo Credit : FAS)
With the early goal, the Lions began stroking the ball around with confidence, as forwards Ikhsan Fandi and Amy Recha darted around trying to find spaces for scoring chances. However, Filipino goalkeeper Neil Etheridge - who plays for English Championship side Birmingham City - held firm amid the Lions pressure.
On the other end of the pitch, Hassan Sunny could count his lucky stars in the 18th minute as Bienvenido Maranon's stinging shot cannoned of the right post to the Filipino striker's dismay. The match was chugging along at a far more languid pace than their bruising clash in December, but it suddenly exploded into a sending-off in the 40th minute. Filipino defender Diego Bardanca, who had been booked just minutes before after a late tackle on Recha, again went in late on Lions captain Hariss Harun, leaving referee Ahmad A'Qashah with little option but to dismiss him.
Down to 10 men, the Philippines seemed to have finally regained their feistiness, and the robust challenges which littered their previous encounter returned. One such challenge saw the Lions given a free kick on the stroke of half-time, but Shahdan's superb attempt rattled the crossbar to the loud groans of the fans.
After the eventful first 45 minutes, the second half quickly fizzled out into a tame affair with all the intensity of a training match. With a man short, the Philippines were content to keep their rigid defensive shape to frustrate the Lions, who were equally content in keeping their one-goal advantage.
The 9,183-strong fans however, were finally sent home in high spirits, as Shawal latched onto a superb long pass by Hariss to slot home the Lions' second goal in the 90th minute.
(Shawal Anuar scores Lions' 2nd goal in 89th min. Photo Credit : FAS)
Even without a permanent head coach, the Lions continue to be heading in the right direction as they seek to escape the doldrums of the last decade.
As Safuwan said after the game, "Hopefully we'll know soon who will be leading us for the games in June, but meanwhile as players we have to believe in one another, believe in coach Nazri, and we will try to maintain our momentum and keep progressing."
Interim head coach Nazri Nasir, leading the Lions following the departure of Tatsuma Yoshida after the Suzuki Cup, praised his charges for performing well with only a short period of preparation with him.
"I had only four, five days with the team, and what I could do was only to play to the strengths of each player," the former national captain said after the match. "Some of them were not playing in their usual positions, but I can see all of them enjoyed themselves during the two matches....I'm happy and I'm proud, getting these wins means a lot to me."
Singapore: Hassan Sunny (GK), Irfan Fandi (Amirul Adli 90’+1), Hariss Harun (C), Safuwan Baharudin, Zulqarnaen Suzliman (Hafiz Nor 46’), Shahdan Sulaiman, Adam Swandi (Taufik Suparno 61’), Nazrul Nazari, Song Uiyoung (Shah Shahiran 87’), Ikhsan Fandi (Ilhan Fandi 90’+1), Amy Recha (Shawal Anuar 61’).
Unused subs: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Syazwan Buhari (GK), Ryaan Sanizal, Christopher van Huizen, Hami Syahin, Zulfahmi Arifin
Chia Han Keong is a veteran journalist who has covered both Singapore and international sports extensively for the past 19 years. He was the sports editor of bilingual tabloid My Paper, and has also worked for The Straits Times and Yahoo News Singapore. He has covered four SEA Games (2009, 2011, 2013, 2019), two Asian Games (2010, 2014) as well as the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad. He counts himself as a massive Liverpool, LA Lakers and Rafael Nadal fan.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 164749641842 NSG 2024 Netball: Senior Div Girls League 3 Preliminary Round 2, BlogPost 163985727414 Beyond the Field: Exciting Sports Careers for Non-Athletes, BlogPost 164438712123 NSG 2024 Badminton: Senior Div Girls Quarter-Finals, BlogPost 164238055490 Evergreen Aleksandar Duric Still Making Headlines at 53, BlogPost 164170080646 NSG 2024 Rope Skipping: Junior Div Girls Freestyle Team Finals, BlogPost 162884973666 Move and Rest Better With Data From Your Own Body, BlogPost 163393049482 Life Comes Full Circle For Serangoon Garden Secondary School's Fahrish Khan, BlogPost 163258797651 Making Golf a Sport for All, BlogPost 162512222328 NSG 2024 Sepaktakraw: Senior Div Yuhua Primary School vs Qihua Primary School, BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches]