AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers - Singapore’s Lee frustrated by India stalemate; Jamil draws confidence

Singapore: Head coach Gavin Lee cut a frustrated figure after 10-man India held his Singapore side to a last gasp 1-1 draw in their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Qualifiers Final Round Group C tie on Thursday.

The inability to take advantage of Sandesh Jhingan’s sending off two minutes into the second half saw Singapore drop two precious points as Rahim Ali equalised in the 90th minute to cancel out Ikhsan Fandi’s first half opener.

“We didn’t take further advantage of the extra man we had and unfortunately, we allowed one action to determine the outcome and gloss over all the positive stuff that we did today,” said Lee.

“There were very good moments in many phases, but again we didn’t make it count at the end. The boys are hurting for sure, but we will go to Goa (for Tuesday’s reverse fixture) with extra fuel in our tank."

“Ultimately, this is a fantastic test of our character as a team. If we think we are better than tonight’s result, our job is to go out there and prove it in more difficult conditions.”

In the other game, Hong Kong, China notched a crucial last-gasp 4-3 win over Bangladesh to open a two-point gap to Singapore with India now trailing the group leaders by five points.

India head coach Khalid Jamil knows his team have no room for error with only three matches to play but is hoping the late leveller will serve as a confidence booster for Tuesday’s rematch.

“We played better in the second half and deserved to have the goal because if you work hard, you will be more lucky,” said Jamil.

“To play away with 10 men and get a point, it is to our advantage and we must continue with this confidence.

“Singapore are energetic, they are a good team and they know they have lost two points here, so they will be more prepared for the next game. We will play on home ground and must also prepare very well.”

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