Singapore come back from two goals down to hold China in Lions coach Oguraâs opening game
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Substitutes Faris Ramli and Jacob Mahler came to Singapore's rescue after visitors China took a 2-0 first-half lead.
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SINGAPORE:Â Minutes after his sideâs sensational comeback against China, Singapore head coach Tsutomu Ogura asked if he could take a swig of water before a post-match press conference.
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Nobody could begrudge him a sip, or even a whole bottle, after a performance which was as much his playersâ as was his.
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The Lions showed heart, grit, and immense fighting spirit in the opening game of his tenure as they came back from two goals down to hold China to a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium on Thursday (Mar 21).
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A Wu Lei first-half double seemed to have dashed any hopes of Singapore picking up any points in the third match of their World Cup qualifying campaign.
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But substitute Faris Ramli gave the Lions a route back into the game before Jacob Mahler also came off the bench to smash home a late equaliser.
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And despite a remarkable draw, there is more work to be done, said Ogura.
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He told reporters after the game that he was not satisfied with the result and that Singapore could have won.
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âPlease donât say congratulations,â he added.
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Singapore had lost their first two matches in their qualifying group last November, with a 3-1 loss to Thailand and a 5-0 drubbing by South Korea.
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But this was a much tighter affair.
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And it was a different team, thanks to Ogura. While he said that he was no âmagicianâ, he has clearly worked some wizardry.
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Close to 70 places higher in the world rankings at 88, China dominated proceedings from the off.Â
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And with just 10 minutes played, striker Wu Lei capitalised on a pocket of space in the box to head home.
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Oguraâs men pressed hard but their opponents appeared unfazed as they played their way out from the back on a number of occasions.
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Singapore had Hassan Sunny to thank midway through the first 45 as he saved a weak penalty from Wu Lei after Nazrul Nazari was adjudged to have handled in the box.
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The save seemed to give the Lions a boost as they launched a number of attacks after that, with midfielder Shah Shahiran coming agonisingly close with a half-volley.
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But just as the Lions were about go into the break a goal behind, Wu Lei struck again in the dying seconds of the first half, after Hassan parried a fierce shot into his path.
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The last time Singapore beat China in a competitive match was at the 1983 Merlion Cup, with the Lions winning 1-0 in the semi-final, according to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).Â
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But Oguraâs side showed no signs of being overawed. The Japanese coachâs message to his team at half-time was simple: Don't be scared, go out there and play your game.
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And the Lions heeded his call.
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The hosts got their breakthrough in the 53rd minute, after a long ball from Lionel Tan found Faris and the nippy forward squeezed the ball past Chinaâs Yan Junling.
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The away side were not going anywhere with more than 40 minutes left on the clock, as Fernandinho continued to be a thorn down Singaporeâs left.
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Then it was time for another substitute to get in on the act as Jacob Mahler rifled home in the 81st minute to the delight of the home crowd.
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On the opposite end of the stadium, a large swathe of China fans were stunned.
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And rather than shut up shop, the Lions went for the win, but were denied a famous result. They could have won a penalty too, as Safuwan Baharudin looked to have been impeded in the box late on.
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Despite the draw, Singapore stay rooted to the bottom of their group.Â
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Next week, at Tianjin, the Lions will attempt to do one better against their fancied opponents.
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For now, they have a point.Â
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But more than a point, the result represents hope. Hope that Singapore now has a football team which can mix it with the best and hold their own.
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Mohan, M. (2024, March 22). Singapore come back from two goals down to hold China in Lions coach Oguraâs opening game. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/singapore-china-football-fifa-world-cup-4211966