Singapore have booked a place in next week's Asean Football
Championship final after beating Malaysia 5-4 on penalty kicks at
the National Stadium on Saturday.
The second leg of the semi-final had ended 1-1 after extra
time.
Substitute Mohd Khyril Muhymeen's poor spot kick was easily saved
by Lionel Lewis and the defending champions now host either
Thailand or Vietnam in the first leg of the final on January
31.
Earlier, Indra Sahdan, Noh Alam Shah, Mustafic Fahrudin, Fazrul
Nawaz and Shi Jia Yi all scored from the spot for Singapore.
Eddy Helmi Abd Manan had given the vistors the lead in the 57th
minute but even the Johor FC midfielder himself would have had to
'thank' Lionel Lewis for what was surely go down as a soft goal as
far as Singapore were concerned.
Because just as he did with Muhammad Hardi Jaafar's mishit cross in
the first leg, another rare error in judgement by the normally
unflappable Home United goalkeeper had given the old enemy the
lead.
And despite a huge push by Singapore late in the second half after
Ridhuan Muhammad's 74th-minute equaliser, it seemed that even the
highest scoring team in the tournament found the Malaysian
rearguard too tough to crack.
Stand-in captain Indra was quiet by his high standards but he still
caused Mohd Khaironnisam and company plenty of problems with some
crafty off-the-ball running.
The Lions had made two changes to the side that held the Malaysians
to a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Baihakki Khaizan deputised for the
suspended Aide Iskandar in the middle of defence while Mustafic
Fahrudin returned to his midfield enforcer's role.
Meanwhile, Malaysia coach Norizan Bakar named an unchanged line-up
from Tuesday's match, which meant that Fauzie Nan kept his place in
the starting eleven ahead of left wingback Irwan Fadli Idrus.
The latter has had a solid tournament so far and was expected to
return after sitting the game at Shah Alam out through
suspension.
The hosts started the game well, with midfielders Ridhuan and Isa
Halim particularly lively in the opening 10 minutes.
Their fellow midfielder Shi Jia Yi was yet to break his goalscoring
duck this tournament but he came pretty close as the stadium clock
hit 10 minutes past eight.
But all the reward his wicked freekick from 25 metres out got, was
to crash onto Syamsuri's side netting.
Alam Shah used his trademark hustling to good effect on the half
hour mark to wrest posession from a hesitant Fauzie Nan in
midfield. With Ridhuan steaming down the right flank in support,
Alam Shah played a quick one-two with the former but the
27-year-old's attempt lacked power.
Eight minutes before the break, Malaysia's Hairuddin Omar broke
free on the left flank and tried to place his shot into the far
post but a timely tackle by the backtracking Baihakki saved the day
for the team in blue.
Unfortunately for the team in yellow though, their burly midfielder
Muhammad Shukor Adan blazed the loose ball high into the
stands.
The tournament defending champions seemed to come out from the
sheds with renewed vigour as they swamped the Malaysian half as
soon as Hong Kong referee Cheung Yim Yau blew for the start of the
second period.
Singapore wasted two excellent opportunities in the space of two
minutes as Ridhuan and then Indra failed to hit the target despite
only having Syamsuri to beat on both occasions.
Then came the shock goal by Eddy Helmi to give the Malaysians the
advantage. There seemed to be little danger as the midfielder
received a long pass from defender Nurhafiz Zamani Misbah.
But what looked nothing more than a speculative effort from the
edge of the box somehow squirmed past Lionel's giant mitts and over
the line to send the small army of Malaysian supporters into
ecstasy.
Advantage Malaysia.
And Singapore knew it as they tried to work their way back into the
tie but having to be wary of the inevitable counter attack led by
the speedy Hairuddin.
Bennett whipped in another trademark cross from the left as the
hosts launched another attack with a quarter of an hour left. Alam
Shah did well to climb above his marker and get his head on the
ball.
But before Syamsuri could smother the ball, Ridhuan came from
literally nowhere to bundle the ball in from two metres out.
Indra and Jia Yi were perhaps the closest Singapore came to
clinching the lead in the first period of extra time but neither
really tested goalkeeper Syamsuri with their long range
attempts.
Shukor was again Malaysia's culprit - this time early in the second
period of extra time - as he took advantage of some hesitant
Singapore defending but then somehow contrived to miss from five
metres out despite only having Lionel to beat.
Perhaps unimpressed with the (lack of) luck his attacking players
has been having all night, Nigerian-born Singapore defender
Precious Emuejeraye let fly a rocket from all of 35 metres which
Syamsuri tipped over for a corner four minutes before the end of
extra time.
Match status: Full Time + Extra Time End
Scoreline:
Singapore 1
Ridhuan Muhd 74'
Malaysia 1
Eddy Helmi Abd Maman 57'
Penalty Kick
Singapore 5
Indra Sahdan
Noh Alam Shah
Mustafic Fahrudin
Fazrul Nawaz
Shi Jia Yi
Malaysia 4
Muhammad Hardi Jaafar
Rezal Zambery Yahya
Sanramsak Kram
Thirumurugan Veeran
Lineup
Singapore
Lionel Lewis (gk), Hafiz Osman (Noh Rahman 90'+1'), Baihakki
Khaizan, Precious Enuejeraye, Daniel Bennett, Ridhuan Muhammad
(Fazrul Nawaz 77') Fahrudin, Shi Jiayi, Isa Halim (Khairul Amri
64'), Indra Shadan (C), Noh Alam Shah
Malaysia
Mohamad Syamsuri (gk) Mohd Fauzie Nan, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah,
Thirumurugan Veeran, Mohd Khaironnisam (C), Muhammad Hardi Jaafar,
Mohd Nizarudin Yusof (Rezal Zambery Yahya 89'), Eddy Helmi Abu
Manan (Sanramsak Kram 84'), Nanthakumar Kaliappan, Hairuddin Omar
(Mohd Khyril Muhymeen 90'+28'), Muhammad Shukor Adan
Cautions
Singapore
- Noh Alam Shah 14'
Fazrul Nawaz 90'+24'
Malaysia
- Mohd Fauzie Nan 9'
Mohd Khaironnisam 26'
Norhafiz Zamani Misbah 66'
Rezal Zambery Yahya 90'+3'
Expulsion
Singapore
-
Malaysia
-
Match Officials
Referee: Cheung Yim Yau (HKG)
Asst Referee 1: Lui Siu Chuen (HKG)
Asst Referee 2: Koung Ly (CAM)
Fourth Official: Nuon Yin Monarath (CAM)
Match Commisioner: Dr. Nugraha Besoes (AFF)
Venue
National Stadium, Singapore
Match Attendance
55,000