Singapore narrowly defeated 1-0 by Vietnam in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifying campaign

The Singapore Under-23 Men’s National Team lost to Vietnam in their Group C AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifying match. At the Viet Tri Stadium with 6,046 Vietnamese fans, head coach Firdaus Kassim admitted that the team had played well for the majority of the game, but also admitted that the loss was difficult to accept. 

With this, Firdaus expressed: “Huge respect to my players for the effort they showed today. We were extremely competitive against one of the best teams in Southeast Asia.” He also added that Singapore’s athletes were smart as they were putting pressure on their opponents, which ‘limited them to only long-distance shots and chances.’ 

“But ultimately, football is about results, and it hurts not to take something from this match. We need to learn from moments like this, because at this level, even the smallest lapse can be costly,” the Head Coach declared. 

Furthermore, Firdaus also stated that the team is competitive, and that is exactly what he wants for them. 

 

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Highlights of the match 

The Vietnamese squad started strong and made their shots towards Singapore’s goal. At the 30-minute mark, Vietnam’s midfielder Viktor Le nearly scored, but the ball hit the post. 

Moreover, in the added time of the first half, Le took a powerful long-range shot. This time,  goalkeeper Aizil quickly dove and the ball failed to hit the net again. 

Early in the second half, Aizil made another smart save, and by the 60th minute, the 20-year-old keeper had made impressive quick saves.

In the 79th minute, Vietnam finally scored when Le Van Thuan headed the ball into the net past the in-form Aizil.

“Going into the game, we knew Vietnam would be a very strong team, especially playing in their homeland. It was always going to be a tough fight. I think the boys worked hard, but the reality is we came up short tonight,” Aizil remarked. 

On social media, netizens expressed their thoughts and opinions about the results. One stated a comment saying: “Not bad 1-0 with Vietnam 👏👏🔥🔥 good fights boys..” while another commenter said, “At least it was just one goal. We go again ❤️”

One more fan added: “Good job, well fought, although a loss. On to the next match.” 

Now, Singapore’s national team is looking to play a good game against Bangladesh. 

 

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