Noh Alam Shah inspired Singapores biggest ever win in
international football as they overran Laos 11-0 in an ASEAN
Football Championship Group B match on Monday.
The 26-year-old striker scored a personal record seven goals, while
four others also found the net to send Singapore top of the group,
level on points with Indonesia.
Earlier in the evening, Indonesia needed a late goal to snatch a
1-1 draw against Vietnam, thereby claiming four points ahead of
their showdown with Singapore on Wednesday.
But Radojko Avramovics men gave themselves a huge psychological
advantage ahead of that match, as they exorcized their goalscoring
demons in sensational style.
Singapore sent out a strong signal of intent as Alam Shah partnered
Indra Sahdan up front, the latter donning the armband as Aide
Iskandar and S. Subramani were rested.
They faced a Laos side unchanged from their opening match two days
ago, where they managed to claim a 1-0 lead over Indonesia at the
break before conceding three goals.
The seemingly heroic achievement of netting first that day did come
at a cost, as Laos, none of whose players had yet celebrated their
24th birthday, looked jaded against a physically fitter Singapore
side.
Indra, still fresh after an uneventful 15-minute appearance on
Saturday, was particularly lively in the early moments, as he
constantly darted around looking to create chances.
The Lions went ahead just ten minutes into the match, Indras
left-sided cross gliding towards Ridhuan Muhammad as Sengphachan
Pounthisanh hopelessly fumbled his catch.
Realizing he was gifted the chance to break his senior duck,
Ridhuan swivelled around to claim the ball before slamming it past
leftback Saynakhonevieng Phommapanya.
Just a minute later, Alam Shah doubled Singapores lead by heading
Mustafic Fahrudins lobbed pass from a central position, leaving
Sengphachan grasping at air.
From that point, the signs began to show that Laos were in for a
bad night, as Singapore as a whole, and Alam Shah in particular,
looked well-poised to turn it on for the fans.
Heading a Daniel Bennett cross into the crossbar on 14 minutes, he
then shot weakly at Sengphachan not long later after using his
strong frame to outmuscle Khamxay Phakasy.
But Alam Shah would not be denied a third time in the 24th minute,
when Shi Jiayi headed Ridhuans cross from the right back across
the face of the goal. Sneaking in from the blind side, the hitman
was on hand to stoop down and nod the ball home.
Sengphachan was by now a bag of nerves, and Laos coach Saythong
Syphasay opted to swap the 19-year-old on the half-hour for
18-year-old Phoutpasong Sengdalavong.
The move looked sound enough initially, as the Lions and their
fans at the National Stadium went quiet for the rest of the first
half, apart from Precious Emuejerayes infrequent loud shouts meant
for his teammates.
But it would merely be the calm before the second-half storm, which
started inside two minutes as Shahril Ishak tapped home from Hafiz
Osmans ground pass on the right.
Alam Shah then completed his hat-trick just after the hour mark,
bundling home a low pass from the left by Khairul Amri, who had
come on at the break for Ridhuan.
Amri got his name on the scoresheet in the 71st minute thanks to
another great cross by senior debutant Hafiz, before Alam Shah
added two more in the 72nd and 76th minutes.
Substitute Itimi Dickson then made it nine on 79, racing ahead of
his marker on the right to slam Amris pass high into the roof of
Phoutpasongs net.
With double figures looking a delicious prospect, the partisan
crowd began to chant we want ten even as Avramovic signalled for
his players to take things easy and slow down.
The Serbians words were heeded as a little game of keep-ball
ensued, and at one point the Lions maintained uninterrupted
possession for two minutes, until Bennetts forward pass to Amri
went behind the forward and to the feet of a Laos defender.
The Singapore fans wishes were eventually granted in the 88th
minute, when Amri, playing some of the most purposeful football he
has shown on home soil, lobbed a high ball on the left for Alam
Shah to head home.
But there was still enough time for the Tampines Rovers man to
deliver his pièce de résistance, a sepak takraw-style right-footed
strike that went in off the horizontal after Amris initial shot
had struck the same spot on the bar and bounced back out.
The rout was now complete, the destruction total, and some 6,000
Singaporeans were left absolutely delirious as they sang their way
out of the National Stadium.
And why not? When Wednesday comes and they return with their
friends for the decisive match against Indonesia, they will be
cheering on a team that has become reacquainted with that scoring
feeling and will surely do everything to make sure it
stays.
Players praised as Avramovic sees harder times
ahead
Singapore national coach Radojko Avramovic was pleased with his
players particularly seven-goal hero Noh Alam Shah following
their national record 11-0 victory over Laos.
The result was Singapores most emphatic win at international
level, a fact that Avramovic claimed he did not know when he spoke
to reporters after the match.
The Serbian then humbly lauded his team for doing a good job,
singling Alam Shah out for special mention before also praising
Khairul Amri and Hafiz Osman, who earned his first cap as regular
rightback S. Subramani was rested.
The ease with which Singapore triumphed ensured Hafiz, who provided
two assists, would have a peaceful introduction to international
football, although a tougher contest against Indonesia is likely to
see Subramani and other veterans recalled to active duty.
I thought we were lucky to score as many as we did, and it is good
that many players were involved, said Avramovic of the
match.
The only mystery to me is why Alam scored so many goals. After a
while I was telling him, Dont run, just stay!
But anyway, I think he had a good game. So did Khairul Amri, who
has realized that he is an important part of this team and can
provide the touches that will help others, which is as valuable as
scoring goals himself.
Hafiz Osman did a good job too in his first game standing in for
Mani, but we will have a much harder time against Indonesia. In
that game, the experienced ones like Mani and Aide (Iskandar) will
come back.
Alam Shah was left in shock after his superb individual
performance, although he was quick to deflect the attention to his
teammates, who he felt had put in the harder work.
The Tampines Rovers striker has now overtaken Indra Sahdan as the
most prolific current Lions player after his feat, but still
considers the 27-year-old and Amri as players he finds great to
work with.
The win was not all about me; it was about the hard work by the
rest, said Alam Shah.
I have to credit my goals to all my teammates. All of them were
easy goals for me, but the way they ran and worked to create them
was just tremendous.
I was hoping the ball wouldnt go in so often though, because I
was feeling sorry for the Laos players. Today my luck was good, and
it feels great to play with Indra and Amri.
Ive a good partnership with Indra, and Amri is coming in and
willing to fight. Its coming together just in time for all of us,
and I hope it will stay against Indonesia.
Singapore: Lionel Lewis, Hafiz Osman, Baihakki Khaizan, Precious
Emuejeraye, Daniel Bennett, Ridhuan Muhammad (Khairul Amri 46), Shi
Jiayi, Mustafic Fahrudin (Isa Halim 57), Shahril Ishak, Indra
Sahdan (Itimi Dickson 64), Noh Alam Shah.
Laos: Sengphachan Pounthisanh (Phoutpasong Sengdalavong 30),
Chandalaphone Liemvisay, Souksamy Manhmanyvong (Soulivanh
Rathsachack 59), Khamxay Phakasy, Saynakhonevieng Phommapanya,
Sisomphone Sathongyot, Sounthalay Xaysongkham, Phayvanh Louanglath,
Dao Khotsaya, Kaysone Soukhavong (Kita Sysvanh 6
, Visay Phaphouvanin.