AFC Asian Cup
Song Ui-yong netted both goals as the Southeast Asian team drew level on eight points with Hong Kong, China, with the sides clashing on November 18 in a winner-takes-all showdown.
“There was a lot of emotion in this game. I’m just very pleased with the players, because I knew how much it hurt after the first game - especially playing at home,” said Lee. “That result (India secured a last gasp draw on Thursday) really affected the group. So for us to go out there, come back from a goal down to win is amazing.
“I’m just really happy for the players and the staff. They have been putting in a massive amount of work behind the scenes and this has put us back in contention.”
“After that first game, we knew we needed to close the gap. We weren’t in control of what Hong Kong did, but we knew their result before kick-off. This was our chance, and the players took it well. Now it’s about regrouping, reviewing, and going again.”
Lee said Thursday’s result had been used as motivation for his players.
“One of the things we spoke about before coming here was leaving the stadium with a different feeling. We left the (Singapore) National Stadium(on Thursday) with disappointment and I’m just glad this time we walked away with something to smile about.”
While Singapore remain in the hunt for a place in the Finals - which would be a first one merit - India head coach Khalid Jamil had to accept the disappointment of elimination.
“I don’t have much to say, but I just want to acknowledge that everyone works very hard. This is football - sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t. You can open the floor now,” said Jamil. “I feel very sad that we’re out. I don’t want to blame anyone - this is my mistake. I’ve tried to do many things to rectify it, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.
“I think there was a lack of concentration after we scored the early goal. Then we conceded right at the end of the first half, and that changed the momentum. So yes, I believe it came down to a lapse in focus.”
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