Lions’ Asian Cup hopes in tatters after 1-1 draw with Turkmenistan

SINGAPORE – Just like it was with Hong Kong last Thursday, V. Sundramoorthy’s men controlled much of their 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup qualifier and had better chances, perhaps even more, against Turkmenistan on Tuesday (Sep 5).

Unfortunately the result was the same, too, as Singapore’s profligacy again proved their downfall in the 1-1 draw at Jalan Besar Stadium, which left their hopes of making it to Asian football’s showpiece tournament for only the second time dangling by a thread.

A superb volley from Shakir Hamzah in the 63rd minute looked to have set the hosts on the way to their first victory in nine games, only for Altymyrat Annadurdyyev to rescue a point eight minutes from time.

“I thought (that) today, we had it (the win),” Sundram said after the match. “We should have scored the second goal and we would have been okay.”

Victory, which would have given the Lions four points from three matches and pushed them up from last to second in Group E, could have been sealed at half-time had the Lions been more ruthless.

Hassan Sunny was largely untroubled in the first half, with Arslanmyrat Amanov’s shot that flew a whisker past the right post in the fifth minute the closest the visitors came to flustering the custodian.

Five minutes later, stalwart Khairul Amri, who was on target when Singapore ran out 4-2 victors the last time both teams met in a friendly eight years ago, mistimed his connection with Nazrul Nazri’s right-wing cross at the far post.

The hosts continued to control proceedings and Safuwan Baharudin twice headed over from promising positions, while Hariss Harun’s header off Zulfahmi Arifin’s corner hit the ground before bouncing agonisingly over the bar.

The attacking momentum carried over into the second half and the 3,712-strong crowd were finally brought to their feet just past the hour mark.

Hariss embarked on a purposeful run into the box and when he won the ball back after being tackled, it fell kindly for Shakir to emphatically smash in his first international goal from 11 metres on his 37th cap.

It came about as a result of some patient build-up play, which appears to be a core tenet in the new 3-4-3 system that Sundram implemented for the first time during the draw with Hong Kong.

“At home, I think we should go out this way, we have options on the flanks like Nazrul and Shakir, who can give us speed,” the 51-year-old said.

“Safuwan can win headers… Hariss and Izzdin (Shafiq) were good holding midfielders, a player like Zulfahmi, he had a very good game (at centre-back) and hardly put a foot wrong.”

But while the good patches of play over the last two games suggested that the 51-year-old might have finally found the set-up to bring the best out of the Lions, there is still much work to be done.

A lack of composure, wrong decisions and poor touches let them down time and again in their efforts to score the killer second despite several promising moves.

Eighteen matches have now elapsed since Singapore have scored more than once in a game, the last time being a 2-1 friendly win over Myanmar last March. Since Sundram took over in May last year, they have scored nine times, kept five clean sheets and conceded 27 times in 17 matches.

“You saw the game, we were creating chances,” he said. “More or less, the boys have done well. Only in the last quarter (of the game), we should have done better. I believe we were tiring faster than the opponents.

“Hariss led by example, if it (the game) went (on for) another 45 minutes, he can (still) play and I hope we (the other players) can follow his footsteps.

“With a one-goal lead, anything is possible. They were coming and coming, and there will be opportunities (for them).”

And so it proved as Turkmenistan punished Singapore on 82 minutes when Merdan Gurbanov found space to whip in a cross from the left and Annadurdyyev, who struggled to find the target all night, ghosted in to poke home from close range.

Singapore now need to rack up the points away to Turkmenistan next month, against Bahrain at home in November and Taiwan away next March, but Sundram is still optimistic of making it to the United Arab Emirates in 2019.

“The table is still open, I hope Bahrain win (against Taiwan in the game later) and pull away and let the three of us battle (it out for second place),” he said.

“We have the belief and I think it’s just about them believing in themselves. More or less, they could have beaten this opponent (and) we will take the game to Turkmenistan (next).”